Photos by Eric Brady | The Roanoke Times

Police and rescue personnel gather at the scene of a collision Tuesday between a train and a truck in Roanoke County. The train was en route to Durham, N.C., and continued on its way a few hours later.

A police officer investigates a collision Tuesday between a Norfolk Southern train and a dump truck that happened in the Glenvar area of Roanoke County. The driver, whose name has not been released, was killed.

A collision between a train and a dump truck Tuesday afternoon in the Glenvar area of Roanoke County left the truck driver dead, officials said.

The wreck happened about 1:15 p.m. on Garman Road, according to county police.

Robin Chapman, a spokesman for Norfolk Southern Corp., said an eastbound coal train hit the truck at a private crossing that has no gate or signals.

The train struck the right side of the truck, ejecting the driver, police said. The truck, which was hauling concrete, came to rest about 60 feet from the tracks and caught fire.

Roanoke County Fire and Rescue responded and extinguished the fire. Concrete from the truck's payload was scattered around the crash scene Tuesday afternoon.

Police said they are not releasing the driver's name or employer until family has been notified.

Officer B.T. Smith, with Roanoke County police, said the dump truck was southbound at the time of the incident.

"The engineer saw the truck coming across the tracks and was blowing his horn," Smith said. He said it appeared that the engineer was attempting to stop the train at the time of the collision.

According to Chapman, the train's emergency brakes were being applied when the collision occurred. He said it appeared there was another truck crossing the tracks in front of the truck that was struck.

Chapman said the train was blowing its horn at the first truck when the second started across and was hit by the train.

He said the train, which consisted of 97 cars and two locomotives, was hauling coal from Elmore, W.Va., to Durham, N.C. He said there were no injuries to the train's crew and said he was not aware of any damage to the train or the railroad tracks. After a brief inspection, the train continued on its way about 4 p.m.

Neither Chapman nor Smith knew how fast the train was going at the time of the crash, but Chapman said the speed limit in that area is 40 mph.

The wreck occurred on a privately owned road, Chapman said, and the crossing is marked with a railroad crossing sign and a stop sign. He said that with railroad crossings on private streets, the installation of a gate or a signal light is up to the landowner. State transportation departments determine crossing warnings on public roads.

It was not clear Tuesday night who owns the road.

Smith said the incident is still being investigated.