Christmas Parade starts off with bang — train strikes police car
Johnson City’s Christmas Parade got off to an unanticipated start Friday night when a train struck a police cruiser parked near the tracks. No one was injured as the incident occurred just before 6 p.m. However, witnesses said a bystander was struck by a piece of the cruiser’s bumper when it was hit.
Johnson City police had cordoned off the area for the parade route through downtown Johnson City, and a patrolman had parked the cruiser near the tracks.
Witnesses said when police saw the Norfolk Southern Railroad train approaching, officers and others attempted to get inside the vehicle to move it to no avail. The keys were apparently inside.
The train’s engine clipped the cruiser’s rear, and the train tore off the vehicle’s trunk.
Main Street at the Buffalo Street intersection across from Fountain Square near the parade route was blocked due to the accident, but the parade started at 6:30 p.m. as planned.
Some parade attendees were forced to find alternate routes into downtown while the train remained on the tracks. The train blocked a portion of Main Street for more than an hour until it began moving again around 7:30 p.m.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol and Norfolk Southern officials were investigating the accident.
Source: Christmas Parade starts off with bang — train strikes police car
Johnson City police had cordoned off the area for the parade route through downtown Johnson City, and a patrolman had parked the cruiser near the tracks.
Witnesses said when police saw the Norfolk Southern Railroad train approaching, officers and others attempted to get inside the vehicle to move it to no avail. The keys were apparently inside.
The train’s engine clipped the cruiser’s rear, and the train tore off the vehicle’s trunk.
Main Street at the Buffalo Street intersection across from Fountain Square near the parade route was blocked due to the accident, but the parade started at 6:30 p.m. as planned.
Some parade attendees were forced to find alternate routes into downtown while the train remained on the tracks. The train blocked a portion of Main Street for more than an hour until it began moving again around 7:30 p.m.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol and Norfolk Southern officials were investigating the accident.
Source: Christmas Parade starts off with bang — train strikes police car
