Just after 4:30 PM Tuesday, the Goldsboro Police Department, Goldsboro Fire Department, and Wayne County EMS responded to a traffic crash on Spence Avenue at the railroad crossing near Royall Ave. A westbound Norfolk-Southern Railroad train struck a northbound mini-van that was stopped on the railroad tracks.
The driver of the mini-van advised her vehicle broke down and she was unable to move it off the tracks. She saw the train approaching and abandoned her vehicle prior to it being struck by the train. The conductor of the train advised he saw the vehicle on the tracks and began braking the train to stop. However, the train struck the passenger side of the mini-van spinning it around in the roadway and off the tracks. The train stopped approximately 350 yards west of the railroad crossing.
The mini-van driver was the only occupant of the vehicle and was not injured. No injuries were suffered aboard the train. Damage to the mini-van was estimated at approximately $5,000. Minimal damage was reported to the train engine. The train continued on its scheduled route.
The mini-van driver was charged with Disregarding a Railroad Crossing.
