It appears likely that emergency personnel may have to respond to a serious accident at a St. Joseph railroad crossing unless motorists change their habits.
“We’re truly worried about people’s safety, and this could be bad,” said Capt. Duane Robinson, commander of Troop H of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The Highway Patrol and the St. Joseph Police Department conducted a railroad crossing enforcement check on Wednesday with disappointing results.
A total of 41 summonses were issued for railroad grade crossing violations during the four-hour operation.
“I haven’t ever seen any railroad crossing checks with these kinds of results,” said Mr. Robinson, a 21-year veteran with the Highway Patrol. “Crashes involving motorists and trains are devastating. Just last month, a 10-year-old girl lost her life in this type of crash in Andrew County.”
Officers from the two departments rode on the train in St. Joseph and watched for motorists who failed to stop for the red signal lights and stop arms that are activated when a train was approaching. Additional officers in patrol cars stopped the violators.
The crossing enforcement checks are normally an annual event, but the troop expects to do additional checks in the coming months because of these results, Mr. Robinson said.
The two law enforcement agencies worked with BNSF Railway.
Marshall White can be reached at marshall@npgco.com.
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Anyone stupid enough to run a RR crossing that is activated deserves what comes to them. Trains will ALWAYS win in a collision with your vehicle.
A call I worked in another state involved a Mom late for an appointment who chose to try to beat a train. By some miracle, the baby in the ejected baby seat was fine, some 40-feet from the tracks. Mom was eventually okay, too, but her car was destroyed. Another few inches and I would have been putting two people into body bags.
Posted by wickedtruth on October 6, 2008 at 8:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)There is no where that is important enough for any of us to be in a hurry to not obey crossing signals.
In light of the tragic accident in Augusta, KS over the weekend, where a mother and her 3 year-old daughter were killed in a train v. car collision, we all should be more mindful of all traffic laws. While this particular incident doesn't appear to be due to the mother's negligence (her car stalled on the tracks on a private drive), it really makes me realize how little reaction time we have in a situation like this. My prayers go to the family, including the 7 year old sister and her brother who pulled her out just in time.
Posted by ndkcfan2006 on October 6, 2008 at 8:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)As a railroader myself in the St. Joe area, it makes me angry to see folks violate these rr crossings in the attempt to beat the train. The most important thing that the folks who are struck and who are killed and or seriously injured forget is that the train crew sees this and has to live with it for the rest of our lives. Most of us have our own families as well. It takes a train at least 1 mile to be able to come to a stop.
Posted by AtHomeInJoeTown on October 6, 2008 at 11:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)The rule of thumb is that a train is only half as far away as it looks and traveling twice as fast as it looks. Doesn't sound like a recipe for adventure to me.
Posted by tigersfan on October 6, 2008 at 11:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)Good point ndkcfan2006, my dad has been pulling trains for years in the area and has had some near wrecks, I couldn't imagine what it would have been like had he nailed someone.
Posted by AtHomeInJoeTown on October 6, 2008 at 2:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thumb
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