Train Plows Into Semi [Video]

I wonder at what point the driver of this semi realized that he had made a bad decision? This incident occurred in Salem, Oregon, at an intersection during the morning rush hour. The driver of the truck ignored the crossing gates coming down at the train intersection, and then he got stuck.

With insufficient time to stop, the train plowed directly into the trailer of the semi. The good news is no one was injured, and the train did not derail.  You can watch below.

This got us thinking. How long does it take a train to stop? Of course, there are many determining factors like how heavy the train is and how fast it's traveling, but according to info on MontanaSafetyCouncil.org, a  light-rail train requires about 600 feet to stop—the length of two football fields. If the train was traveling at 55 mph, it could take as much as 18 football fields to stop.

What about a supertanker? Well, a fully loaded supertanker, which can carry around two million gallons of oil, can take 20 minutes to come to a full stop. According to wisegeek.com, some emergency maneuvers can be performed, and it's possible that the ship could be brought to a stop in about 15 minutes.

How about your car? If you're traveling at 80 mph, you'll travel some 80 feet before you even hit the breaks in an emergency situation. And DriveandStayAlive.com says that you won't actually come to a stop for 320 feet. That means your vehicle will go about 400 feet (more than a football field) until you come to a stop.

Thanks to Sean Smith for the YouTube video.