MBTA Commuter Rail train crashes into tractor-trailer on Littleton tracks
LITTLETON - An MBTA Commuter Rail train crashed into a tractor-trailer in Littleton on Monday afternoon.
The collision happened between King Street and Taylor Street around noon.
Eddy Barry was behind the wheel of the tractor-trailer and was on his way to pick up a load before going back to Mississippi. He approached the track and tried to take a right turn, but he was caught in a traffic jam.
"It was traffic blocked. Yea I was turning going that way so a lot of trucks backed up. I couldn't make it past the track," Barry told WBZ.
Luckily he jumped out of the vehicle to see what was causing the back-up, and that's when he heard the train coming moments before it collided with his truck.
He said it sounded like a "firecracker."
Passengers were transferred to another train. The MBTA said that the Fitchburg Line is running 5 to 15 minutes late due to the crash.
No injuries were reported.
This is not the first time a train has crashed into a truck in Littleton. In 2022, another tractor-trailer was struck by a train at King Street Extension, and part of the truck was ripped off.
Locals are frustrated by the frequent collisions and delays.
"The trucks end up backing up all the way down the crossing down to Route 2A. It's gonna be a real serious issue at some point in the future. I've actually called 911 myself four or five times " said Postal Clerk Tim Welton who works across the street from the crossing.
A spokesperson for Keolis said that the gates at the crossing are working properly. He did not comment about whether or not there are sensors to let train operators know when there is a vehicle on the tracks.
