Fire crews cut driver free from van after train strike on embankment

A medical transport van driver was transported to the hospital by helicopter after a northbound CSX train struck the vehicle in Marshall County. The collision occurred around 1 p.m. on Monday, leaving the van at the bottom of a steep embankment.

Farmington Fire Department units arrived at the scene with other agencies. Firefighters found the driver trapped inside the crushed vehicle. Crews used hydraulic tools to cut an opening in the van's frame to create a path for rescue.

Once the driver was free, the team attached him to a basket suspended by a rope pulley system. They lifted the patient up the embankment to the top, where a medical helicopter was already waiting on the ground. The driver was conscious and spoke with rescue personnel throughout the entire extraction process.

CSX rail officers managed the train and coordinated with their command center to slow down oncoming traffic. This allowed crews the necessary time to remove the wrecked van from the slope. Farmington Fire did not specify the driver's medical condition in the incident report.

The incident involved a medical transport van, indicating the vehicle was likely en route to or from a patient. The rescue operation required multiple agencies to coordinate the removal of the vehicle from the difficult terrain. The train service resumed after the area was cleared and made safe.