Train collides with truck, spills 24K pounds of fertilizer

(KWNO)-A train collided with a semi-trailer in Buffalo County cutting the trailer in half and spilling more than 20,000 pounds of fertilizer. According to the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, on Wednesday morning the truck was crossing the railroad tracks in the Village of Nelson while the crossing arms were down and was hit by the oncoming train. No one was seriously hurt.  

Courtesy Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office

The semi-trailer was fully loaded with ammonium nitrate, a commonly used agricultural fertilizer. The crash spilled an estimated 24,000 pounds of fertilizer. State Highway 25 was shut down for nearly five hours as cleanup crews cleared the area and removed debris. First responders from Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as investigators from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, were on the scene. Nelson is about 45 minutes northeast of Winona.