Fighting for Life-Saving Change

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April 2008

Washington girl killed by train

Posted Wed, 04/23/2008 - 00:00

A 17 year old girl from Kent, Washington was struck and killed by a train this week. The train crossing had no lights or gates or "crossing control" of any kind. Investigators have simply determined that she was not paying attention to the oncoming train. She may have been distracted by her cell phone. Unfortunately, the one distraction that could have saved her life - lights and gates at the railroad crossing - was not there. This is the latest example of a pedestrian train crossing accident that could have been prevented with simple lights and gates.

Madison man killed by train

Posted Mon, 04/14/2008 - 00:00

Reports indicate that a Madison man was killed when his vehicle became stuck at a railroad crossing. His passenger is said to have survived with "serious injuries." The railroad crossing is reported to have been "unsecured," which indicates that it had neither lights nor gates to warn motorists. The remaining details about the crossing and the other circumstances surrounding the fatality have yet to surface. Testimony of the witness who survived this train crossing accident will be crucial to determining the facts.

Is Illinois coming to its senses?

Posted Mon, 04/14/2008 - 00:00

Illinois is on the verge of installing lights and gates at a railroad crossing where a man was killed earlier this year. When the accident occurred there was nothing more than a crossbuck at the crossing; a stop-sign has since been added to prevent train accidents, but nothing has proved to more effective than lights and gates. It is tragic that a man had to lose his life to precipitate the installation of basic safety mechanisms that should have been installed as soon as the technology became available. The rest of Illinois and the country should follow suit.

Two accidents, same day, same crossing

Posted Thu, 04/03/2008 - 00:00

Two separate train wrecks that happened at the same Mississippi railroad crossing on the same day resulted in the death of one man and the critical injury of a woman. The first crossing accident occurred in the morning, injuring the woman. The second railroad crossing accident happened in the afternoon, leaving a man dead and his SUV demolished. Unsafe railroad crossings are always unsafe, and unfortunately an accident can happen at one any time. These two train crashes prove that fact.