A tractor-trailer loaded with compressed natural gas Thursday, Dec. 21, struck a railroad bridge in a small Upstate New York community and exploded just as a train was passing overhead.
The truck struck the Maple Avenue bridge in the community of Glenville, which is located about 30 miles northwest of Albany. The bridge has signs warning it has a clearance of just 10 feet.
The driver, 60-year-old Sylvester Basil Jr., of Clute, Texas, suffered third-degree burns on his hands and face, according to the Schenectady Gazette.. He was airlifted to Westchester Medical Center for treatment.
The freight train that was on the bridge at the time of the crash was not damaged and did not stop.
Several nearby homes were evacuated.