Train/truck crashes occur twice in 24 hours

Train/truck crashes occur twice in 24 hours.  

A train and a semi-tractor pulling a trailer with a heavy piece of earth-moving equipment and a train collided at 10:20 a.m. Thursday, August 13, on the Burns Avenue railroad crossing at County Road 3. The semi-tractor owned by M.R. Paving, driven by Timothy Mathiowetz, 51, of New Ulm, was southbound on Burns Avenue, and the train was westbound.

The impact of the train on the rear axis of the  semi tractor and the drawbar of the lowboy trailer that was carrying a Caterpillar bulldozer, swung the trailer around and separated them.  The driver was taken to Mayo Clinic Health System in Springfield by ambulance, was checked and released. The train was on the local rail, causing detour of local traffic, until 4 o’clock Thursday, while damage to the train was being evaluated. 

There was no estimate given of damages to the train and vehicles involved. 

On Friday, August 14, at 9:45 a.m. a Canadian Pacific Train and a River Region Cooperative semi tractor collided on the railroad crossing in Cobden.  

Patrick J. Anderson, 32, of New Ulm, was driving the semi tractor pulling a load of shelled corn southbound when it was struck by the westbound train. Michael J. Sornberger, 57, of Silver Bay was train engineer and Benjamin Vang, 32, of Waseca, was conductor. 

The train hit the trailer and its impact split the trailer in half with half of the trailer attached to the truck on the south side of the track and the other half on the north side of the track.   There were no injuries and crews cleared the roadway of debris and grain.

According to the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, who investigated, the truck driver did not stop at the crossing and was cited for the cause.  

The semi tractor was drivable after the incident.  The first engine on the train had minor damage and was moved to Harvest Land Cooperative, Springfield, for further inspection before it was moved off the scene.