Sarasota County: Train Carrying 30,000 Gallons of Propane Derails, Creating a “Minefield”

It was just another day on the Seminole Gulf Railway train, carrying the usual load of sheetrock and...wait, hold up. Did you say one of the train cars was carrying 30,000 gallons of propane? Well, this just got a whole lot more interesting! Apparently, the train was riding through Sarasota County when it suddenly turned into a minefield, at least according to Southern Manatee Fire Rescue Chief Robert Bounds. Six train cars derailed, with one of them carrying enough propane to cook up a feast for the entire state of Florida.

But don't worry, folks, there's no need to panic. The propane tanker miraculously managed to stay intact, so we can all breathe a sigh of relief...for now. Of course, the real challenge will be when they try to siphon the propane out of the tanker to move it upright. That's when things have the potential to go boom, and not in a good way.

According to the New York Post, hazmat teams are on the scene, using drones and thermal imaging technology to monitor the situation. Meanwhile, workers have spoken to the homeless encampment that's conveniently located only 700 feet away from the derailment. Talk about a prime location for an explosion!

It's unclear what caused the train cars to flip off the tracks, but we're pretty sure it wasn't the work of a mischievous raccoon or a gust of wind. Maybe the train was just tired of carrying boring old sheetrock and wanted to spice things up a bit. We can only imagine the train's conductor shaking his head and muttering, "Not again."

In any case, it looks like the remediation efforts could take one to three days, and several hundred people working in nearby buildings may have to evacuate. On the bright side, at least they'll get an unexpected day off work. "Sorry boss, can't come in today. The train carrying propane exploded and now I'm stuck at home." It's the perfect excuse!

All jokes aside, we're glad no one was injured in the derailment. Let's just hope they can offload that propane without any hiccups. And maybe, just maybe, the train can stick to carrying less explosive cargo in the future.

NFL Prospects are in Indianapolis for the NFL Combine this week. We get to watch the future stars of the league doing drills in their skivvies. There are always a few guys who haven't been great on the field, but wow GM's with measurables. One of those names this year is Former Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson. The perceived top QB prospects in this class are Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, and Will Levis. All of those guys have one thing or another going for them. Young has been the guy in Tuscaloosa for two years with all the success individually that Tua, Mac, and Jalen had. Will Levis might not have the number Young has, but he has been on the NFL's radar for a few years now. CJ Stroud is probably a mixture of Levis and Young in the best ways. I think the Anthoney Richardson hype is real.

Anthony Richardson is exactly what the perfect NFL quarterback looks like in 2023. Guys like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Peyton Manning would exclusively pick defenses apart from the pocket. Today's quarterback needs to be able to keep defenses honest with his feet. All the best young quarterbacks can move, at least a little. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Justin Herbert, and even Joe Burrow to an extent can make plays with their feet. Anthony Richardson can absolutely do that. His arm strength is not a question either. It might not be to the level of Josh Allen, but he has more than enough pop to make any throw on the field. NFL scouts will start drooling over themselves when they see Richardson throw this week. One thing is apparent; the Anthony Richardson hype is real.

You can see the raw talent the kid had as a Freshman with the Gators.

As a Sophomore he still has the athleticism, but notice the improvement in the passing game.