Train ploughs through massive wind turbine blade in Texas

On Sunday in Luling, Texas, a small city outside of San Antonio, at approximately 2:30pm local time, a truck carrying a single wind turbine blade made the mistake of getting caught up at a train crossing while trying to navigate a turn.

As luck would have it, a train was incoming. The boom gates came down atop the wind turbine blade and, despite a last-ditch effort to simply floor the truck away from the crossing, the train ploughed smack into the centre of the blade.

The blade was totalled, as was the truck, though thankfully there were no serious injuries.

And, thanks to the fact that it’s 2021 and the fact that everyone has a camera phone, the carnage has been enshrined and posted across social media for all to see. (And here’s another perspective, with a language warning).

According to local media outlets and those familiar with the area, the accident took place at the intersection of US Highway 90 and US 183 (E. Pierce Street and N. Magnolia Avenue), where the truck transporting the blade attempted to turn right onto US 183.

Apparently, trucks should take a different exit of US 90 so as to pass straight through the train intersection, rather than having to navigate such a difficult turn.

Upon impact, the trailer was demolished while the turbine went on to collide with three unoccupied vehicles. The railroad crossing infrastructure, a commercial building, and a utility pole were also damaged.