Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Train collides with log truck near GP

An accident between a log truck and a train kept traffic at a stand still for almost an hour on Tuesday, Aug. 7.

According to Arkansas State Police Trooper Sam L. Hart, the accident occurred in the morning hours when the north bound log truck failed to yield to a train at the Caddo Valley Railroad crossing on U.S. 67 near the Georgia Pacific Gurdon Wood Products facility.

Hart said the truck, driven by George K. Nolan, 42, of 1601 Crawford St., Arkadelphia, was en route to GP when the accident occurred. Reports indicate that the railroads flashing lights were not functioning at the crossing, but a flagman was in the road attempting to get the log truck to stop.

He was waving the flag violently, Hart said of the flagman.

Nolan told police that he did not see the flagman at first after coming around the curve from Gurdon. The train struck the truck just behing the door on the passenger side. There were no injuries.

Hart said it was estimated that the train was going 5-10 miles per hour at the time of impact. The log truck was loaded, but the load was not shifted and remained in tact.

Because the train had come completely across the road when impact occurred, Hart said the road remained blocked for more than 45 minutes. After the investigation was complete, the train was backed off of the truck. Because the truck had become lodged in the tracks, a wrecker had to be called in to remove the truck.

Nolan was issued a citation for disregarding a railroad crossing as Hart said the flagman was sufficient signal that a train was coming.

Hart said he instructed the railroad company to repair the broken warning lights.

Officers from the Gurdon Police Department and Clark County Sheriffs Office assisted at the scene.