Vandegrift High School Band Trailer Collides with Train in San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — At approximately 3:30 p.m. on Monday, November 3, 2025, a tractor-trailer carrying equipment for the Vandegrift High School Marching Band became stranded on active railroad tracks in San Antonio and was struck by a moving train. The incident occurred while the band’s gear was en route to the Alamodome for the UIL State competition.
The trailer was transporting instruments, uniforms, props and other essential gear. Importantly, no students were present in or near the trailer at the time of the collision, as the band’s buses had already arrived at the competition venue. Both the driver and passenger exited the tractor safely prior to impact and were unharmed.
Equipment, Impact & Immediate Response
According to a letter sent to families by the school’s principal — Charlie Little — the cab of the tractor trailer sustained “catastrophic” damage, but the bulk of the instruments and equipment inside the trailer remain intact or salvageable. The crossing where the trailer became stranded is not part of the student bus route, reaffirming that students were not on the vehicle when it was impacted.
Band directors and administrators immediately began assessing the damage, inventorying the equipment and coordinating with other high-school bands to lend instruments and gear where needed. The schools of the region rallied in support, offering help so that Vandegrift’s performance could proceed despite the logistical setback.
Band & Event Context
Vandegrift High School’s marching band program is widely regarded as elite — part of the competitive arts community in the region and frequently participating in major events. The timing of this incident — on the way to a UIL State competition at the Alamodome — places additional pressure on the program to recover quickly.
Following the crash, the band’s performance slot was adjusted. Nonetheless, the school and UIL (University Interscholastic League) management allowed the Viper Marching Band to still compete in the 6A preliminaries. This decision underscores both the severity of the transport disruption and the resilience of the program.
Investigation & Safety Questions
While no injuries occurred in the event, the accident is under investigation — focusing on how the trailer became stranded on the tracks, whether proper routing protocols were followed, and whether signage or crossing grade design contributed. Because the trailer was not scheduled on a student bus route, the incident raises questions about equipment transport logistics and the decisions around crossing selection.
Railway crossings present inherent risk for heavy vehicles, particularly when combined with low-clearance trailers, uneven crossing grades or misalignment between trailer height and rail grade. The fact that the main damage was to the cab suggests the trailer may have become stuck or misaligned before the train’s arrival. Video and eyewitness reports suggest the trailer may have been “high-centered” or hung up on the crossing grade prior to impact.
Community Impact & Band Response
The Vandegrift band community — including students, parents, alumni and supporters — mobilized rapidly. Bands from other schools offered equipment, and the school’s communications emphasized gratitude for the support. For the students of the marching band, many of whom had spent months preparing for state competition, the event was a sudden logistical crisis. Director contacts reported the mood as anxious yet determined: the goal remained performance despite adversity.
Parents and alumni gathered and helped coordinate retrieval of gear, alternative transport and loading of borrowed instruments. Although the equipment crash could have derailed the program’s participation entirely, the speed of supporting offers across the band community helped keep the competition chance alive.
Conclusion
Though no students or drivers were physically harmed, the collision between the tractor-trailer and the train placed the Vandegrift High School Band in a sudden and high-stakes logistical emergency. Transporting gear to a state competition, the trailer’s stranding on train tracks and subsequent impact highlighted transport risk for even non-passenger school vehicles. The incident is now under investigation, and the band community is moving forward with performance and recovery efforts.
As the investigation determines causation and prevention steps, the band and its supporters look ahead — still competing, still united — though shaken by how close a supporting-vehicle accident came to derailing major performance ambitions.
