WATCH ABOVE: CN Rail crews cleaning up the derailment scene in Nampa, Alberta on Tuesday morning.
EDMONTON — A tractor trailer collided with a Canadian National Railway train in northwestern Alberta, killing one person and causing several tanker cars to derail early Tuesday morning.
The crash happened along Highway 2 in the village of Nampa, about 30 kilometres south of Peace River. A CN Rail spokesperson said at 1:30 a.m. the semi truck hauling two full grain trailers drove into the side of the train, which caused 11 empty tanker cars to jump the tracks.
The driver of the semi was killed. None of the train crew was hurt.
A resident who lives beside the train tracks told Global News there was nothing left of the tractor trailer after the collision.
“Only thing left of the semi truck is the smoke stacks sticking up,” said Ashley Klassen.
She added crews worked for about two hours to remove the driver from the mangled wreckage.
Photos show the unrecognizable truck, along with the two grain trailers. One was damaged, but the other was far enough back to avoid being hit. The photos also show several damaged tanker cars lying on the ground.
Klassen said she wasn’t too concerned about living so close to the tracks, but Tuesday’s crash left her worried something like this could happen again.
“The worst would have been if they were full tanks,” she said.
The derailment caused disruption to traffic along Highway 2. RCMP from Peace River responded to the scene to investigate the serious crash and help detour both north and southbound traffic.
Both RCMP and CN Rail said the Highway 2 crossing was protected by flashing lights and bells, which are believed to have been functioning.
RCMP from Peace River, including a collision analyst, along with CN Rail and the Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. Police are working to notify the family of the driver who died.
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