At approximately 4AM, the Chesapeake and Albermarle rock job was northbound with approximately 40 empties. When it approached the open bascule draw span over the Intercoastal Waterway, the train was not able to stop. Instead, the lead engine collided with the counterweight and other parts of the bridge. The train was able to stop just as the front trucks went over the edge of the bridge approach and it came to rest with 1/3 of the lead engine hanging over the canal, resting on its fuel tank.