A Nissan Altima driven by an adult female which was crossing the railroad crossing at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church Road in Sandersville apparently didn’t see an oncoming Norfolk Southern freight train on Thursday night and was hit by the train’s engine. The devastating crash spun the Altima around and tossed it off the tracks as the train conductor made an emergency stop. Sandersville Volunteer Fire & Rescue was dispatched to the call at 11:53 p.m. and responded with Engine 1, Engine 2 and Rescue 1 under the command of Fire Chief John Bounds. Multiple units from the Sandersville Police Department under the command of Police Chief Tony Hosey, units from the Jones County Sheriff’s Department and Jones County Fire Coordinator Dan McKenna also responded to the incident.
The driver of the vehicle was trapped briefly in her car before being extricated by emergency responders and transported by EMServ Ambulance Service to South Central Regional Medical Center for treatment of undisclosed injuries. The Norfolk Southern freight train was pulling twenty-two freight cars headed north to Meridian when the accident occurred. There were no reports of injuries to any of the train personnel and no damage to the train tracks reported. An investigator from the Mississippi Department of Transportation Rails Division was also dispatched to the scene to conduct a post-crash investigation. The crossing where the accident occurred was not equipped with crossing signal arms or other electronic warning devices.
