GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Multiple railroad crossings in Hall County are expected to remain closed into early Friday morning after a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed Thursday when it struck a flatbed tractor-trailer hauling an excavator at the Yonah-Homer Road crossing.
In an 11:30 p.m. update Thursday, authorities said Norfolk Southern crews were continuing cleanup operations and that crossings along Old Cornelia Highway, as well as the section of Old Cornelia Highway between the Habersham County line and Mud Creek Road, remained closed to traffic.
The derailment happened around 11:50 a.m. Thursday near Yonah-Homer Road and Old Cornelia Highway, according to Banks County Fire Chief Steve Nichols.
Nichols said the northbound freight train struck the lowboy trailer while it was crossing the tracks. The impact caused three locomotives and eight rail cars to derail and overturn.
Authorities said the train was carrying hazardous materials, but none of the hazardous cargo was compromised in the crash.
The driver of the tractor-trailer suffered minor injuries and was transported by Hall County EMS to a hospital in stable condition. No injuries were reported among railroad personnel.
When the train derailed, portions of it came to rest in both Hall and Banks counties, prompting Banks County emergency crews to assist Hall County responders until they were released from the scene shortly after noon on May 21.
The Georgia State Patrol and Norfolk Southern Railroad are investigating the crash.
The following railroad crossings remain closed in Hall County:
- Main Street at Eighth Street in Lula
- Old Cornelia Highway at Moccasin Gap Road
- Old Cornelia Highway at Barrett Road
- Old Cornelia Highway at Yonah-Homer Road
The closings are expected to last into Friday morning, May 22. Officials urge motorists to avoid the area and expect delays on nearby roads, including Barrett Road and Moccasin Gap Road.
