Poor GPS directions leads to crash between a tractor-trailer and a freight train in Emmaus

A truck driver walked away after a Norfolk Southern freight train demolished his trailer early Thursday in Emmaus.

Police Chief Troy Schantz said a tractor-trailer driver became lost at 12:54 a.m. after following bad directions on his GPS device. The driver was headed south on Sixth Street when he realized he would get stuck if he continued, Schantz said. The driver pulled over to get his bearings with his trailer on the tracks when the gate arms came down and safety lights began to flash.

“I don’t know if he panicked or froze or both. Basically, he did not move off the tracks,” Schantz said.

The freight train plowed through the trailer, creating a mess large enough to shut down Sixth Street until 6 a.m., Schantz said. Norfolk Southern officials were still on scene around 9 a.m., replacing the gate arms at the crossing, Schantz said.

The driver was not hurt in the crash and was not charged.

The police chief urged motorists and especially tractor-trailer drivers to pre-map their routes instead of relying on their GPS devices when traveling. Many motorists find themselves stuck in the borough because their devices incorrectly tell them they can reach the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike from Emmaus. The situation is even worse with big rigs because most GPS devices aren’t designed with tractor-trailers in mind — they frequently direct them onto streets too narrow handle them.

“There’s a lot of imperfections in these things,” Schantz said.

Morning Call reporter Tom Shortell can be reached at 610-820-6168 or tshortell@mcall.com.