An 83-year-old man from Smithfield was hospitalized Thursday morning after the Hyundai Elantra he was driving collided with a railroad tamper, seen in background, on Route 27 in Belgrade. Photo courtesy of Maine Department of Public Safety
BELGRADE — A motorist was hurt Thursday morning when his car hit railroad machinery at a rail crossing on Route 27, according to officials.
William Bockman, 83, of Smithfield suffered injuries not believed to be life-threatening and was taken to the hospital, according to Shannon Moss, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Bockman’s Hyundai Elantra was traveling southbound when it collided with a railroad tamper at about 6 a.m. on Route 27, also known as the Augusta Road.
The tamper was being operated by Bryce Willette, 19, of Madison, Moss said. It was not clear Thursday what led to the collision.
A tamper is used as part of rail maintenance to pack track ballast and keep it level.
An 83-year-old man from Smithfield was hospitalized Thursday morning after the Hyundai Elantra he was driving collided with railroad machinery on Route 27 in Belgrade. Photo courtesy of Maine Department of Public Safety
Photographs shared by the Maine State Police showed extensive damage to the front of Bockman’s small sedan. A front wheel was ripped away and the front of the car on the driver’s side was pushed inward nearly to the driver’s door.
The southbound lane of Route 27 was temporarily closed as investigators and work crews cleared the scene.
Moss said the crash remained under investigation Thursday afternoon.
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