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The incident took place in Rockland County around 9:20 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 23 near the intersection of Route 9W and New Main Street in the town of Haverstraw, said Capt. John Gould of the Haverstraw Police.
Gould said the tractor-trailer had bottomed out on the tracks and a passerby notified Sgt. Christian Mendez who happened to be patrolling in the area.
Mendez was able to quickly turn around and remove the driver from the tractor-trailer before it was hit by a CSX Train, Gould added.
Gould said no one was injured during the incident.
Currently, New Main Street is closed at the tracks and traffic is being diverted, police said.
“I want to thank the Haverstraw Police Department for its swift action this morning in making sure the driver of the truck that was caught on the railroad tracks was out of the vehicle before the train collided with it," said Rockland County Legislature Chairman Jay Hood Jr. "A video of the accident shows it may not have been a survivable crash."
Hood also said that the quick actions by officers, including blocking other cars and pedestrians from entering the area, prevented a worse outcome.
"I’m sure the driver of the truck and the driver of the train are shook up and I hope they’ll both be okay," Hood added.
The name of the driver was not available.
This is a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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