Railroad News Archives - Page 174 of 180

Aug 13 2009

Car train collision raises questions of railroad crossing safety

By Pottroff & Karlin LLC | railroad news

A collision near Windsor, Colorado between a car and a train on August 1 caused no serious injuries, but it did raise questions about the safety of the railroad crossing. Residents complain that the crossing has been a problem for years. The crossing itself is bumpy, needing to be repaved, while only a crossbuck exists to warn vehicles of the crossing. No equipment is present to warn oncoming vehicles of the presence of a train - neither lights nor gates exist at the crossing.

Aug 5 2009

Car train collision at unguarded Iowa railroad crossing

By Pottroff & Karlin LLC | railroad news

A person, yet to be identified, was killed Tuesday morning in a car-train accident at an unguarded railroad crossing. The driver apparently began traversing across the railroad crossing when an incoming train hit the car, flipping it over into a ditch, where it burst into flames. The crossing is marked only by a crossbuck sign.

Aug 4 2009

The death of three at a Nebraska railroad crossing sparks concern

By Pottroff & Karlin LLC | railroad news

On July 26th, three young adults lost their lives in a train-car collision at a railroad crossing which all seem to agree was a dangerous one. Those connected to this tragedy are wondering why this crossing wasn't more protected. The spokespersons for BSNF are claiming that the crossing had sufficient warning in the crossing's "crossbuck" sign. Others are not so convinced: lights and gates could have prevented this tragedy.

Jul 30 2009

Oklahoma man killed in truck-train collision

By Pottroff & Karlin LLC | railroad news

Howard Parker, a 43 year old man of Yukon, OK, lost his life driving a dump truck across an unguarded crossing near Union City. The dump truck was hauling concrete back to a worksite when the accident occurred. The investigation is currently underway, but evidence from the scene indicates that Parker didn't stop. The accident occurred at an unguarded crossing with no warning devices other than a passive crossbuck sign. This is the second fatal crossing accident at an unguarded railroad crossing in 30 days in Canadian County, OK.

Jul 28 2009

Two Kentucky railroad crossing accidents in 24 hours

By Pottroff & Karlin LLC | railroad news

A railroad crossing in Lee County, KY has now been the site of two train accidents in 24 hours. One man had to flee from his pickup truck when it got stuck on the railroad tracks with a CSX train oncoming. Less than a day later, a 25 year old woman was hit while driving her truck by an oncoming train. She suffered a concussion and some broken bones but is recovering.

Jul 23 2009

Dangerous SC railroad crossings urge drivers to call CSX

By Pottroff & Karlin LLC | railroad news

North Charleston, SC is not the first town to sense that a railroad company is being a bad neighbor. It is a familiar state of affairs: a set of dangerous railroad crossings need repairs and maintenance, while the railroad company who owns the crossings refuses to take action.

Jul 21 2009

Dump truck hit by train at unguarded railroad crossing

By Pottroff & Karlin LLC | railroad news

A Montgomery, Alabama dump truck was hit by a CSX freight train at 8 AM on Saturday. The driver, Jackie Carroll Kemp Jr. was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries reported. The CSX operator was uninjured, although the train itself did derail. Fortunately, none of the hazardous materials being transported by the train were spilled.

Jul 15 2009

Tragic Minnesota railroad crossing deaths at unguarded crossing

By Pottroff & Karlin LLC | railroad news

Two men driving a Blue Earth County, Minnesota dump truck were struck by a Union Pacific train on Sunday. They lost their lives at the unguarded crossing. Now, the residents of nearby Lake Crystal are left wondering if a guarded railroad crossing might have saved lives. There's good reason to think so, too: 95% of railroad crossing accidents could be prevented by functioning lights and gates. This is especially potent in the case of commercial truck driving: commercial truck drivers should never have to drive over unguarded railroad crossings.

Jul 13 2009

Two teenagers injured at unguarded North Dakota railroad crossing

By Pottroff & Karlin LLC | railroad news

Two teenagers near Des Lacs, ND were thrown out of their car when it collided with an eastbound train on Sunday. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight train hit the car's front end, sending the vehicle into a nearby ditch. The teenagers had to be rescued from the vehicle, and sent to a hospital in Minot to be treated for their injuries.

Jul 9 2009

KC Southern Railroad refuses to repair a deadly railroad crossing

By Pottroff & Karlin LLC | railroad news

In lightly populated communities, exceptionally deadly railroad crossings are not uncommon. Installing and properly maintaining lights and gates at a railroad crossing costs money and time. In sparsely populated regions, unguarded crossings are frequently left unguarded by the simple (and perhaps slightly backwards) logic that very little traffic does not sufficiently warrant the protective power of equipment.