Two farmers counting their luck after walking away from truck vs. train crash

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (Valley News Live) - Two Northern Valley men are counting their lucky stars after crashing into a moving train Thursday morning in the 5500 block of 47th Ave. S. in Grand Forks County.

It happened when the two farmers say they were headed to start working in a new field. In a phone call Friday, the passenger, Richard Lorenzen says the two were caught up in conversation, and didn’t see the train until it was too late.

“All of a sudden, last second, I yelled to him and said, ‘Stop David!’ He turned his wheel to the left and hit the brakes, and all of a sudden it felt like the horn was in the cab of the pickup. Then, boom! The train hit us,” Lorenzen said.

Believe it or not, both Lorenzen, and the driver, David Contreras, are back at work planting crops. They say they’re sore, but that’s about the extent of their injuries.

“All I know is somebody was looking out overtop of us, that’s all I can say,” Lorenzen said.

He says he wants to remind people that accidents do happen, but urge you to be aware of your surroundings and never take a day for granted.

“We should have heard it! We should have seen it! But for some odd reason, we didn’t and then boom! Pretty wild ride! I know that,” he said.

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