Train Collides With Tractor Trailer In North Haven, Delays Expected

NORTH HAVEN, CT — Police are warning people to avoid the Sackett Point Road area after a train collided with a tractor-trailer Friday morning.

The Amtrak train was traveling from Springfield, Massachusetts to Norfolk, Virginia at 5:51 a.m. when a vehicle "obstructing the track" came into contact with the train at a crossing in Hamden, Amtrak told Patch.

Amtrack told WFSB that there were 97 passengers on board, while Paul Januszewski, New Haven's fire chief and emergency management director, told the New Haven Register that there were 107 passengers on board. Both officials said that no injuries were reported among the passengers.

Meanwhile, the North Haven Police Department said that there were "minor injuries," but did not specify whether they were to passengers or crew members.

"Please avoid the area of Sackett Point Road, particularly westbound of Universal Drive," police said at 8:21 a.m. Friday. "... Extensive damage to the TT unit and nearby utilities will cause a lengthy portion of Sackett Point Road to be closed in both directions for an undetermined amount of time. Avoid the area and expect delays."

In a statement shared with Patch Friday afternoon, Amtrak said that according to the Federal Railroad Administration, trespassing along railroad rights-of-way is the leading cause of rail-related deaths in America, and railroad crossing incidents are the second leading cause of rail-related deaths in America.

"These incidents can affect everyone involved—those who are injured or die and their families, our train crews, and our passengers," the spokesperson said. "They also serve as critical reminders about the importance of obeying the law and of exercising extreme caution around railroad tracks and crossings."

Patch reached out to the North Haven Police Department for more information.