Truck driver killed, hazardous materials found as train and truck collide in Houston

02/15/2023 / By Belle Carter

A truck driver was killed and multiple train cars were derailed during a collision at the northeast of Houston involving an 18-wheeler and a Union Pacific train. Moreover, hazardous materials (hazmat) from the train cargo were found, prompting the transport company to monitor air quality at the site of the crash, according to the Splendora Police Department.

The crash occurred at 7:30 a.m. Monday, February 13, along Interstate 69/U.S. 59 near its intersection with Fostoria and Midline roads, between the towns of Splendora and Cleveland.

As per a social media post by the East Montgomery County Fire Department, the driver of the truck died from injuries sustained in the crash. Meanwhile, Union Pacific spokesperson Robynn Tysver said there were no injuries among the train crew and no other fatalities or injuries associated with the crash.

Tysver added that its hazmat crews were on site and an estimated 100 gallons of diesel fuel was released by the truck involved in the crash. “From what we’re being told and shown, there are no major chemicals to be concerned about,” Teller said. “It’s more so household chemicals on board for retail purposes. It’s not a large quantity from what we’re being told.”

Just hours later, another train got derailed in Enoree, South Carolina. There were no reported fatalities and CSX Transportation, which owns the railway, immediately came on-site along with emergency crews. It was unclear if the train carried hazardous materials.

Train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in Ohio

Another train carrying toxic chemicals got derailed in East Palestine, Ohio on Feb 3. While the accident had no fatalities, five of the 10 train cars contained pressurized vinyl chloride, a highly flammable carcinogenic gas. This reportedly caused a massive fire that prompted an evacuation order for 2,000 nearby residents and a shelter-in-place order for the rest of the community.

But new data came out showing that there were more toxic chemicals aboard the train than originally reported. Among the substances were ethylene glycol mono butyl ether and ethylhexyl acrylate. Isobutylene was also in the rail cars that were derailed.

Contact with ethylhexyl acrylate, a carcinogen, can cause burning and irritation of the skin and eyes, and inhalation can irritate the nose and throat, causing shortness of breath and coughing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency added that inhalation of isobutylene can cause dizziness and drowsiness. Exposure to ethylene glycol mono butyl ether can cause irritation in the eyes, skin, nose and throat, as well as hematuria, blood in the urine, nervous system depression, headache and vomiting.

If evacuations were not done, the toxins that burned in the wreckage had the potential to be deadly, experts say.

The Environmental Protection Agency said that tests have not “detected any levels of concern in the community that can be attributed to the incident,” but Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) said he’s received troubling reports from people on the ground about the environmental impact.

“I have heard alarming anecdotes about contaminated waterways and their effects on wildlife. I encourage anyone with credible reports of environmental harms to contact my office,” said Vance. “This is a complex environmental disaster with impacts that may be difficult to assess in the short term. A Long-term study will be imperative.” (Related: Bridge collapses in Iowa causing catastrophic train derailment as America’s infrastructure crumbles under Biden regime.)

Visit Chemicals.news to learn more about various toxic chemicals present in products, food, water, soil and air.

Watch the video below where “Resistance Chicks” hosts and real-life sisters Leah and Michelle Svensson discuss how the Ohio train hazmat spillage affects people in East Palestine.

This video is from the Resistance Chicks channel on Brighteon.com.