Dramatic footage captures the moment a train collided with a septic truck in Chesapeake, Virginia.
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According to local outlet WAVY, the collision occurred Thursday afternoon, May 14, on Yadkin Road in Chesapeake.
Footage widely shared online shows the truck attempting to cross the tracks at the last moment, only to stall before being hit by the train. A person recording the incident exclaims, “Holy!” as the truck is pushed aside into a nearby ditch, with green sludge pouring from a large hole in its tank.
A locomotive struck a septic truck crossing the tracks in Chesapeake, Virginia, sending the truck flying and leaving the driver with life-threatening injuries. https://t.co/sVkx5pnhq4 pic.twitter.com/ywUJT5Bpum
— ABC News (@ABC) May 16, 2026
Chesapeake Police officers responded to a collision between a vehicle and a train in the 2900 block of Yadkin Road. Police reported a minor fuel-related hazmat situation at the scene but stated there was no immediate danger to the public.
Police initially reported that the truck driver had life-threatening injuries. However, an update on Friday confirmed his condition has been upgraded to stable.
According to Chesapeake Police, a preliminary investigation indicates the truck driver failed to yield at a posted stop sign before the collision. The crash is still under investigation.
Norfolk Southern reported no injuries among the train’s crew.
Man Recounts Filming Viral Footage of Train Crashing Into Septic Truck
Meanwhile, WAVY interviewed Azuriah O’Daniel, the man who captured the now viral footage.
“I didn’t even see the truck at first, until, like, he was already going over the tracks. Then he came over the tracks, and the train was already like right here,” O’Daniel told the outlet.
O’Daniel was recording trains that afternoon, a favorite hobby of his, but he had never captured anything like this before.
“It busted the septic tank on it, the hoses fell off. Like the hoses complete, like, flew off of it, like it was the impact was crazy,” O’Daniel gushed.
O’Daniel noted that the private crossing lacks the typical arms and lights that warn drivers of an approaching train. He thinks installing them would be a good idea after this crash. O’Daniel also mentioned that although the train’s horn was very loud before the collision, it was moving too fast to stop in time.
“I don’t think a lot of people realize that they’re not cars. They don’t have rubber tires; it’s steel rails with steel wheels,” O’Daniel speculated. “When you grind those two together, that’s just instant sparks.”
In the meantime, O’Daniel offered some advice that should be a no-brainer for drivers: stay vigilant before crossing any set of tracks.
“When you go to a train crossing, please always stop and look and listen, always, because sometimes railroad crossings malfunction too. They won’t go down sometimes,” O’Daniel advised.