Florida truck driver critically injured after failing to beat train

A Florida truck driver was injured Monday morning when the tractor-trailer he was driving was struck by a train, throwing him some 100 feet from his vehicle. He was taken to a hospital with what were called “critical injuries.

The train’s driver was also injured in the collision, which occurred on U.S. 1 near Cocoa, Florida.

Florida Today quoted Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Channing Taylor, “The driver (49-year-old Steven Tobinson of Lakeland) for unknown reasons decided he didn’t want to wait for the train, drove around the crossing arms. And as a result, was struck by a train that was going northbound.”

Note: This story first appeared in HWT’s partner publication, Truckers News.