A quiet Thursday evening off Gardner's Lane south of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, was shattered when a rail grinder train collided with the rear of another train sitting along a Norfolk Southern line.

The collision caus the rail grinder, Loram RG-306, to leave the tracks and ride up on the rear car of the first train, NS intermodal train 214. About 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel spilled from the rail grinder and a fire official at the scene said he believes most of the fuel was absorbed into the ground.

It is not clear why the trains collided, Lt. Craig Simpson of the Shepherdstown Fire Department said. Simpson said he assumes West Virginia State Police and investigators from Norfolk Southern would be investigating the crash, which was reported shortly before 19:00 EDT.

A man who was riding in the rail grinder was taken to City Hospital in Martinsburg, W.Va., but his injuries did not appear to be life-threatening, said Doug Pittinger, ambulance chief for the Shepherdstown Fire Department.

The accident occurred near the intersection of Gardner's Lane and Morgan Grove Road, which is about one mile south of Shepherdstown.

One of the crewmen was observed limping and two other men jumped off the back of the train that struck the first one, according to witnesses. Witnesses also reported that the rail grinder had been blowing its horn constantly for some distance prior to the impact.

The train that was struck was carrying plastics and mixed freight, Simpson said. It extended about a half-mile to the rear of Morgan's Grove Park, Simpson said.

Area residents said there is a siding for trains nearby and it is common for trains to pull into the area to let other ones pass.

As many as 10 trains a day or more pass over Norfolk Southern's H-Line through Hagerstown, Maryland. Many trains were tied down as investigators from Norfolk Southern, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Railroad Administration examined the wreckage and began their investigations.