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The latest on the tragic Delta truck-train crash

Investigators are still trying to figure out how a Smithrite Disposal truck ended up on train tracks which had its warning lights activated yesterday, resulting in a CN freight train plowing into it and killing the driver.
crash
Emergency crews were called to the scene of a collision between the truck and train at the 4600 block of 72nd Street Saturday.

Investigators are still trying to figure out how a Smithrite Disposal truck ended up on train tracks which had its warning lights activated yesterday, resulting in a CN freight train plowing into it and killing the driver.
According to Delta police, at around 3:20 p.m. on Saturday, emergency crews were called to the scene of a collision between the truck and train at the 4600 block of 72nd Street, an area known as the Churchill Railway Crossing, near the North 40 dog walking park and Boundary Bay Airport in East Ladner.


“Unfortunately the driver of the truck did not survive the crash,” says Cris Leykauf, spokesperson for Delta police in a statement. She notes the driver was deceased at the scene.
The crash scene was complex as the truck was pushed a significant way down the track by the train, say police. Police were on scene until 3:45 am Sunday, conducting the initial investigation, which was led by the traffic services division with the assistance of the Forensics Investigative Services Section.
The Delta fire department, CN Rail, and B.C. Hydro were among the other agencies which attended the scene.


According to CN Rail, the crossing is equipped with active warning devices, which were working at the time of the incident.
The deceased is a man in his 40s from Vancouver. Police were able to notify his family this morning. No further information regarding the victim will be released at this time.
The cause of the crash is currently under investigation, and there is no clear indication of what led to the tragic outcome.