The Enterprise - White Salmon, Washington

Semi driver survives rollover, then train collision

On SR 14

Ben Mitchell

February 12, 2013

The driver of a semi truck remarkably escaped unharmed last Thursday after his truck was hit by a freight train after rolling over onto BNSF railroad tracks several miles west of White Salmon.

According to a Washington State Patrol police report, Rasul A. Tedorov, 39, of Vancouver, was driving his 2006 Kenworth eastbound on State Route 14 at around 12:40 p.m. near Dog Mountain (Milepost 55) when Tedorov's truck left the roadway while he was in the process of adjusting his navigational aid. The truck drove off the south side of SR 14, up over a retaining rock wall, and then fell 10 feet onto the BNSF railroad tracks before coming to rest on its passenger side.

Tedorov was attempting to locate his cell phone inside the cab when it was struck from behind by a BNSF train (No. 2718) that was also traveling east, carrying a small load of High Cascade lumber from Carson.

WSP Trooper Matt Calderone said the engineer saw the truck and applied the engine's emergency brake, but the train was unable to stop in time. The train sliced through the top of the semi's empty trailer and pushed the truck down the tracks before coming to a stop.

Other than a few scratches to its paint, there was little exterior damage to the train engine.

WSP, BNSF, Skamania County Sheriff's Office, and local fire crews responded to the scene. Department of Ecology also responded to the accident due to the rupture of the truck's diesel fuel tanks.

Traffic on SR 14 was reduced to one lane while the accident was investigated. A crane from TLC towing in Ridgefield was used to remove the wreck from the railroad tracks.

Tedorov was uninjured in the accident, but was charged with negligent driving.