A snowplow driver survived after his plow was hit by a train and he was ejected from the vehicle in Brooten Wednesday morning.

The Stearns County Sheriff John Sanner says deputies received a report of a train collision on 493rd Avenue. A sheriff’s deputy, Brooten Fire and Rescue and Ambulance responded to the accident at 8:50 a.m.

The investigation shows 31-year-old Darin Pierce of Pennock was plowing snow in a truck equipped with a front snow blade and side snow wing. Pierce was traveling southbound when he stopped at the railway intersection.

He went through the intersection and failed to yield to the eastbound Canadian Pacific train. Pierce did not have his seat belt on and was ejected out the front windshield.

He received non-life threatening injuries. He was taken to the Glacial Ridge Hospital in Glenwood and later transferred to the St. Cloud Hospital for treatment.

The locomotive was damaged on the front side, but was still operational. It had 109 rail cars, but only the second car, which was empty, received extensive external damage. The damaged car had to be removed from the fleet.

The truck is owned by Carlson Blading who has a contract with North Fork Township and Brooten to remove their snow. The front blade and the sandbox on the truck bed were ripped away from the truck.

No other injuries were reported. The collision shut down several intersections for more than three hours while authorities investigated.