THE BALLOON MAN

Circus train collides with dump truck 

By Bob Fowler 

Knoxville News Sentinel 

Posted April 10, 2012

OLIVER SPRINGS — The circus made an abrupt, unscheduled stop in Anderson County Monday night when a train — containing nine elephants, horses and more than 300 circus employees — collided with a dump truck stuck on the tracks.

No one was injured, Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Joey Lindsay said.

The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus train was traveling west toward Knoxville at about 35 mph around 9:45 p.m. when it struck the dump truck.

Lindsay said the mile-long train, owned by the circus, was on its way "to do a show in Virginia." He said the employees' living quarters are on the train.

After the collision, "Circus personnel checked with everybody and their animals," the trooper said.

Norfolk Southern reportedly had to swap locomotives in Knoxville because there were damaged engine lights, Lindsay said.

The truck driver exited the truck and tried to flag down the approaching train, the trooper said.

The truck and the trailer it was hauling are owned by Tubby's Construction Inc. of Lancing, Tenn. Owner Larry "Tubby" Williams said Tuesday the dump truck received "major damages," and he's still trying to determine what happened.

The collision occurred at the intersection of Marlow Circle and Powder Mill Lane in the Marlow community.

More details as they develop online and in Wednesday's News Sentinel.