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Close Call at Enid AF Base

By Associated Press

Enid, OK – Okla police prevent tanker-train crash, explosion

ENID, Okla. (AP) Two Enid police officers were able to move a stalled fuel tanker truck off a set of railroad tracks with only seconds to spare before a train reached the crossing.

Detective Robin Bench and Officer Ryan Fuxa got the call Thursday evening and rushed to the scene near Vance Air Force Base.

They found a tanker with 8,000 gallons of jet fuel on the tracks while a locomotive was pulling a string of cars less than a mile away.

The officers flagged down a large truck and got a heavy chain from a business near the scene. The tanker cleared the tracks seconds before the crossing gate came down.

Police Lt. Eric Holtzclaw says the officers prevented a large-scale explosion that no doubt saved lives, especially considering there was no time to evacuate the area.

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Information from: KFOR-TV, http://www.kfor.com