No injuries were reported after an Iowa Interstate Railroad train struck a grain trailer pulled by a semi Tuesday afternoon, east of Anita. Deputy Bill Ayers told KJAN News the accident happened at the railroad crossing just south of White Pole Road on 770th Street, at around 12:15-pm, as a 2012 Freightliner semi driven by 38-year old Justin Miller, of rural Wiota, was northbound on 770th, pulling a 1997 Wilson grain hopper-bottom trailer loaded with about 1,000 pounds of grain.

Miller said he didn’t hear the train coming when he crossed the tracks and stopped to turn left onto Whitepole Road. As he was waiting for westbound traffic, the trailer was still partially on the tracks. The locomotive’s  engineer saw the trailer on the tracks and slammed on the brakes one-quarter of a mile away, but the train was unable to avoid the collision. The impact caused about 500 bushels of corn to be spilled onto the ground.

The trailer sustained about $25,000 damage. Ayers said his guess was the engine of the train sustained at least twice that amount. The accident remains under investigation by the Iowa Interstate Railroad. No charges have been filed through Cass County. The Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by Iowa DOT Motor Vehicle Enforcement, Cass County Secondary Roads Department, Anita Rescue and Richter and Son Towing.