Amtrak train strikes truck on tracks in Wayne, police say

Wayne police are investigating after an Amtrak train collided with and split a truck in half near a train crossing Thursday morning. 

The incident happened around 8:32 a.m. Thursday at a train crossing at Merriman Road, south of Michigan Avenue. 

"It was a flatbed trailer with a three-wheel forklift on the back of it. It looked like he was carrying maybe trash containers, but he tried to race the train," said Jayme Van Auken, who lives near the train tracks. 

Authorities say the driver of the truck was taken to a local hospital, where he was in stable condition. No one on board the train was injured, and alcohol and drugs do not appear to be a factor in the crash, police say. 

North and southbound Merriman have since reopened. Avon Street remains closed from Merriman to Niagara Street as crews clear the roadway of debris. 

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.