Train Hits Truck Hauling 10,000 Gallons of Jet Fuel [PHOTOS]

Richard T. James, a 72 year-old truck driver from San Antonio, Texas, has been in the business for decades, but has never had this kind of experience.

The KCCS Inc. employee drove his truck off the road, rolled it down an embankment towards the Columbia River and the truck came to a rest on the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. One train in the area was able to stop, but a second could not and struck the big rig a short time later.

James was able to exit the vehicle and get to safety before the collision. He was transported to Good Shepherd Hospital in Hermiston with possible minor injuries.

Even more fortunate, the jet fuel did not explode after the collision. Highway 730 was closed for 8 hours while the road and train tracks were cleared of debris. While the highway was closed at Wallula Junction, drivers had to go back through Tri-Cities to get to Hermiston on Highway 395.