A train struck a gasoline tanker Monday afternoon, causing the semi to jack-knife east of the tracks on a Franklin road.
Franklin police and fire responded to a train accident at 12:13 p.m. Monday on Earlywood Drive, said Chuck Ridpath, a spokesman for the Franklin Fire Department.
The CSX train, carrying 104 cars, struck the back of the tanker, pushing it off the tracks and causing significant damage, Ridpath said.
Neither the semi driver nor train operators suffered any injuries during the crash, which blocked east-west traffic on Earlywood Drive and Commerce Drive into the afternoon. The tank was empty, so only residual fuel spilled from the truck, Ridpath said.
The train crossing at Earlywood Drive has stop signs both ways, but no lights or crossing arms.
Franklin Community Schools was notified of the crash in case traffic was still blocked when schools let out for the day, Ridpath said.
Railroad crossings have been a long-standing issue in Johnson County.
Communities along the rail lines have sought money to pay for expensive safety features at the crossings, which railroad companies don’t have to pay for. Several accidents — some deadly — have occurred on the tracks in Johnson and Bartholomew Counties.
Just two weeks ago, a 20-year-old Greenwood woman and Whiteland Community High School graduate died when a train struck her car in New Whiteland. Mourners have started a petition to improve safety at that crossing on Tracy Road.
Five months ago, two people were killed and a third seriously injured when a train and a sport-utility vehicle collided at a railroad crossing south of Edinburgh, along the same rail line.
In 2017, railroad companies upgraded tracks throughout the state to allow for more trains, more weight on a freight and higher speeds. But they have not upgraded safety features at railroad crossings. Those changes fall on the cities themselves.
The Louisville and Indiana Railroad line runs north and south through the heart of downtown Greenwood, Whiteland, Franklin and Edinburgh.
