MELVILLE TOWNSHIP—A semi-tractor trailer hauling soybeans was struck by a train Monday afternoon, July 21, at a railroad crossing on Renville County Road 16, about two miles west of Hector.
According to the Renville County Sheriff’s Office, the crash occurred at 12:56 p.m. when a 2018 Freightliner semi driven by 41-year-old Andrew Hanson of Atwater failed to stop at a stop sign and did not yield to an oncoming westbound train. The train struck the trailer as it entered the crossing.
No injuries were reported. Hanson was wearing a seatbelt. The semi sustained significant damage and spilled its load onto the roadway. The train, owned by Canadian Pacific and operated by Twin Cities and Western Railroad Company employees, was not carrying cargo but sustained damage to its locomotive.
The Renville County Sheriff’s Office is handling the ongoing investigation.
Assistance was provided by the Hector Fire Department, Hector Ambulance, Hector Police Department, and the Minnesota State Patrol.
