It breaks my heart to see innocent trucks get abused by irresponsible drivers. A tiny Ford Maverick was struck by a freight train because the owner was drunk. It didn’t deserve that. However, the surprising part of the story is that it used big truck energy to save its owner’s life. 

Drunk Chicago man survived being hit by a freight train in a Ford Maverick 

People see the Ford Maverick in two different ways. They either are super excited about the tiny truck or they say it isn’t a real pickup because it has a unibody build. 

Either way, it has proven to be pretty safe, as one model protected its driver as it was struck by a freight train in Glenview. 

Police officers started searching for 23-year-old Jack Miner around 4:11 AM in the 110 block of Depot Street. They were conducting a traffic crash investigation and found Miner’s Maverick off the road. 

It was struck by a Wisconsin Southern freight train. Somehow, the Maverick truck held up during the collision. According to Journal-Topics, Miner was taken to the hospital but was quickly released. 

But he didn’t get far before police officers charged him with two counts of driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content of .08 or more, illegal transportation of alcohol, and driving on the sidewalk. 

It’s unclear how fast the train was traveling at the time of impact. However, the tiny Ford truck weighs between 3,563 and 3,731 lbs. It seems like the train could have tossed that truck farther than Uncle Rico can throw a football. 

I would bet on a larger truck to provide better protection. According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), the Maverick is pretty safe. But it’s not a Top Safety Pick award winner with a few Marginal and Acceptable crash test scores.