BURKEVILLE, Va. -- A Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus train collided with a tractor trailer Monday afternoon outside Burkeville, Virginia, in Nottoway County, according to Virginia State Police.
"There are no reported injuries and the train was only hauling people and equipment, no animals were being transported," Virginia State Police spokesman Sgt. Stephan Vick said. "The crash is currently under investigation by Virginia State Police and Norfolk Southern Railroad Police."
Circus train crash (PHOTO: Matt Daniel)
Initial reports indicated the truck had become disabled on the railroad track before the collision.
The incident was reported at about 1:10 p.m. at 4496 Patrick Henry Highway.
Circus train crash (PHOTO: Matt Daniel)
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey performed at the Richmond Coliseum and the Norfolk Scope over the weekend.
It was the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey final performance in Richmond.
Earlier this year, Ringling Bros. announced it was closing down after more than 100 years in operation.
"I have made the difficult business decision that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® will hold its final performances in May of this year," CEO Kenneth Feld said.
High operating costs and the decline of ticket sales "made the circus an unsustainable business for the company," Feld said.
And after "the transition of the elephants off the road, we saw an even more dramatic drop" in ticket sales, Feld said.
