Anderson County, SC — December 19, 2025, two people were injured due to a dump truck versus train accident at approximately 9:45 a.m. along Prince Street.

According to authorities, three people were traveling in a dump truck on Prince Street in the vicinity between the Sullivan Street and Williamston Court intersections when the accident took place. Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, the dump truck was involved in a collision with a train at a railroad crossing.

One person from the truck reportedly sustained critical injuries due to the wreck; they were flown to an area medical facility in order to receive immediate treatment. One other person from the truck suffered serious injuries, as well. They were taken by ground ambulance to a local medical facility for care.

Additional details pertaining to this incident—including the identities of the victims—are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a dump truck is struck by a train at a crossing, the question isn’t just who had the right of way—it’s whether either party had a fair chance to avoid the collision. Railroad crossings are one of the few places where a single lapse in judgment—by a driver or a railroad operator—can result in catastrophic injuries. When that involves a commercial vehicle like a dump truck, the bar for awareness and caution is even higher.

At this point, it’s not clear whether the train struck the truck or the truck entered the crossing in front of the train. What matters is what each party could reasonably see and anticipate before the crash. If the crossing had gates and flashing lights, then investigators will look at whether those signals were functioning—and whether the truck driver ignored or misjudged them. But if the crossing was passive, marked only by signs without active warnings, the legal picture becomes much more complicated.

In cases I’ve handled involving train-versus-truck collisions, a common issue is limited visibility at the crossing—especially when trees, buildings, or track curvature obscure an oncoming train. If the driver had only a few seconds of sightline, the window to make a safe crossing may have been much narrower than it looks on paper. That’s why visibility studies and data from the train’s event recorder (black box) are critical. Those records can show the train’s speed, horn use, and braking behavior in the moments before the collision.

The dump truck’s condition and maneuvering also matter. Was it loaded? Slowing? Attempting to stop on the tracks due to traffic ahead? If the truck was heavy and didn’t have enough room to fully clear the crossing, that’s a preventable hazard. Commercial drivers are trained never to enter a crossing unless they can fully exit it—no matter how long the wait.

Whether this was a matter of poor visibility, inattention, or mechanical failure, the legal responsibility will depend on the available evidence. But one thing is clear: train-versus-truck crashes almost never come down to bad luck. They come down to whether someone failed to account for a known risk.

Key Takeaways:

  • It remains unclear whether the dump truck failed to yield or whether limited visibility or malfunctioning warnings contributed to the crash.
  • The presence (or absence) of active crossing signals like gates and lights will be central to determining liability.
  • Event recorder data from the train will help establish speed, horn use, and braking attempts before the collision.
  • The dump truck’s speed, load, and stopping behavior should be reviewed to determine whether it entered the crossing safely.
  • A full investigation should assess sightlines, crossing design, and driver decision-making to determine whether the collision was preventable.

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