Alabama Motorist Killed at Dangerous, Skewed, and Unguarded CSX Crossing
(Bessemer, Alabama – April 1, 2021)
An Alabama motorist was killed shortly before 4:30 pm last week when his wrecker truck was struck by a CSX freight train. The collision occurred at the CSX train crossing near Caroline Avenue and Carolina Terrace in Bessemer, Alabama.
The victim, identified as Ronald Paul Whitely, was driving on Carolina Ave when his truck was hit at the severely skewed CSX crossing. To complicate the skewed nature of the crossing, the Carolina Ave Crossing that is not equipped with any active warning devices, such as lights and gates. The installation of lights and gates would have almost certainly prevented this collision. CSX and Operation Lifesaver know that lights and gates are the most effective type of protection at railroad crossings. Studies that have been conducted over fifty years ago confirm that lights and gates offer the ability to drastically reduce the number of vehicle/train collisions by as much as 96%.