Tractor-trailer struck by train at Pine Street crossing

Canton Fire responded to a tractor-trailer versus train crash at the railroad crossing on Pine Street. (CFD photo)

One passenger was taken to an area hospital for a medical evaluation following a train and tractor-trailer collision at the railroad crossing on Pine Street on Wednesday, April 9.

Firefighters responded to the scene after receiving a 911 call at approximately 1:40 p.m. Arriving firefighters were met by the driver, who had jumped out of the truck before impact and was uninjured. The train, braking and horn blasting, struck the trailer compartment of the truck, sending it approximately 100 feet down the rail.

“The truck was coming from Bolivar Street, driving along Pine Street, heading toward Stoughton, when the train hit the truck,” said Fire Chief Wendell Robery. “Luckily, the driver is okay.”

The crash also ripped out a transformer and took down a telephone pole and wires, impacting electrical power in the area and leading to traffic detours around the railroad crossing.

The passengers were offered transportation to their destination by an MBTA bus while some sought their own means of transportation. Canton Fire remained on scene for the fuel to be offloaded from the truck prior to the removals of the vehicles. There were no hazardous fluids spilled.

According to Deputy Police Chief Patty Sherrill, for unknown reasons, the driver of the truck, who had been traveling down Pine Street towards North Street, got stuck on the tracks.

Sherrill said the CPD forwarded video footage from the DPW Water Station to the MBTA Transit Police, which is conducting an investigation.

The crash is the third in a matter of weeks at a Canton railroad crossing. On the morning of February 26, a vehicle approaching the Will Drive crossing was struck by a Stoughton-bound train, and the following day, another vehicle-train collision was reported at the Pine Street crossing. In another incident in late 2024, a bus transporting students home from the Galvin Middle School was involved in a “near miss” at the Pine Street site after the bus driver failed to stop at the appropriate point.

In each of the prior incidents, investigators determined that the gates were functioning properly and cited operator error as the cause.

In a statement issued last week, Keolis, operator of the MBTA Commuter Rail, reiterated that there is “no issue” with the Pine Street crossing. “The driver of the truck stopped on the tracks for unknown reasons,” stated Keolis. “The crossing warning system was functioning as intended.”

“Let this serve as a reminder to pay close attention at Canton’s many railroad crossings,” said Chief Robery. “Luckily, there were no major injuries this time, but this could have been much worse.”

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