Driver rescued from train tracks within seconds of incoming train

A Saturday morning crash in Pennsylvania ended in a close call for one driver – and the people who risked their lives to save them.

It happened just after midnight at the train tracks on East Main St. in Richland Borough, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.

Chief Deputy Taylor Smith with Neptune Fire Company says a construction truck hit the abutment around the railroad crossing posts.

“The truck came to rest on the railroad tracks,” Smith said. “The crossing arms were coming down at that point.”

Firefighters Kevin Kepley and Daulton Faust, along with bystander Rory Righter, heard the initial impact and ran out to help.

“They noticed that there was still somebody in the vehicle and at that point, our members and a bystander started to remove the driver of that vehicle,” Smith said.

The group safely removed the driver from the truck, seconds before the Norfolk Southern freight train crashed into it.

“It just shows that these men and women are willing to take the risk and do what it takes to help somebody in their time of need,” Smith said. “Obviously, it was a very scary thing. They came very close between the train and being struck by it as well.”

Norfolk Southern says the freight train crews also were uninjured.

A spokesperson for the company said on Monday that they cannot speak on details like the train’s speed or other specifics related to the incident, as it is still under investigation. They said this is normal procedure.