(September 26, 2026 – Mackinac County, Michigan)
An adult man and young passenger were left injured on Saturday morning after their vehicle was struck by a freight train as they traveled through Mackinac County in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The collision occurred just before 9:35 a.m. on September 26 at the Borgstrom Road railroad crossing just south of Black River Road.
According to the Michigan State Police, the victims were identified as a 34-year-old man of Newberry and a juvenile passenger, both still unnamed. Reportedly, an oncoming train struck their pickup as they crossed the Borgstrom Road crossing. Responders to the scene located the driver and passenger still within the pickup, left with non-life-threatening injuries. EMS transported both victims to Helen Newberry Joy Hospital. The train crew did not suffer any injuries.
Wisconsin Central Ltd., a Canadian National subsidiary, owns and operates the Borgstrom Road crossing. It is a rural public at-grade highway crossing used exclusively by freight trains. The crossing sees an average of 4 trains daily, traveling at speeds up to 40 miles per hour. It is a passive, sign-only crossing and is not protected by any active warning devices, such as lights and gates.
In addition to the inherent dangers at a sign-only crossing, other characteristics of the Borgstrom Road crossing may have contributed to this fourth collision at the intersection. Significant vegetation in all four quadrants of the crossing creates sight obstructions for both northbound and southbound traffic and impedes their ability to notice and react to an oncoming train in time. This effect may be worsened by motorists’ high speeds, with a posted speed limit of 55 miles per hour, and the crossing’s proximity to other intersecting roadways.
Investigation of the collision remains ongoing.