May 7: Traffic detoured around semi-train crash west of Murdock, fire departments spraying tipped truck

Truck-train accident in Murdock — A train and a semi-tractor trailer carrying anhydrous ammonia collided west of Murdock, Minn. Traffic was detoured and school kids were evacuated as a precaution. (Tribune photo by Tom Cherveny.)

By Gretchen Schlosser

May 07, 2013 at 9:24 AM

MURDOCK - Area fire departments are spraying water on the semi-tractor and tanker of anhydrous ammonia involved in a collision with a BNSF Railway train around 8:30 a.m. this morning.

According to Tribune Reporter Tom Cherveny, who is on the scene, there are fire trucks, ambulances and hazardous materials response crews at the scene near the fertilizer tank farm along U.S. Highway 12 between Murdock and DeGraff.

Traffic is being detoured around the scene, off the highway onto county roads. Law enforcement is keeping the public about one-quarter mile away from the crash.

The truck is pinned along the train about eight or nine tanker cars back from the two engines, Cherveny said. The train appears to be a 100-car unit train, and was westbound.

At least one person has been hurt and is being transferred to the Swift County-Benson Hospital in Benson.

Tom Cherveny contributed to this story.

Truck-train accident scene — Emergency crews respond Tuesday morning to the accident scene of a train and a semi-tractor trailer carrying anhydrous ammonia west of Murdock, Minn. This photo of the scene looking southward across U.S. Highway 12 to the BNSF Railway tracks. Highway 12 traffic was being detoured around the scene via county roads. Tribune photo by Tom Cherveny.

May 7: Traffic detoured around semi-train crash west of Murdock, fire departments spraying tipped truck

MURDOCK -- Area fire departments are spraying water on the semi-tractor and tanker of anhydrous ammonia involved in a collision with a BNSF Railway train around 8:30 a.m. this morning.