A 65-year-old Medora man escaped serious injury Friday morning after his truck collided with a train in western Jennings County.
James Fleetwood, who was driving a STE/Schneider Trucking and Excavating 2017 Mack truck, was taken to Schneck Medical Center in Seymour by Jennings County Emergency Medical Services after the incident reported at 8:26 a.m.
According to a news release from Chief Deputy David Turner with the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, Fleetwood apparently was driving the truck north on County Road 750W when it collided with a CSX train of more than 50 cars. The impact caused the truck, which held metal waste in the bed, to rotate clockwise and come to rest on the south side of the tracks in a ditch.
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Engineer David Jaynes, 38, of Charlestown, who was driving the train, told police he was not able to stop the train because the truck entered the crossing just as the train went through it. The train finally stopped about a half mile east of the crossing near County Road 700W.
Sgt. Anthony Maberry investigated the wreck and was assisted by county Officer Shawn Minton.
Jaynes and the other engineers or conductors on the train were not injured.
The Spencer Township Volunteer Fire Department assisted with the incident.