Arkansas County Employee Seriously Injured at Dangerous, Unprotected Union Pacific Crossing
(Poinsett, Arkansas – June 13, 2018)
An unidentified employee of Poinsett County was airlifted to The Med in Memphis medical center after the gravel truck he was operating was struck by a Union Pacific freight train. The incident occurred Wednesday morning about 8:00 A.M., CDT at the crossing of UPRR tracks and Greenfield Road.
The northbound train, one of two that cross the Greenfield Road/UPRR intersection daily at a maximum allowable speed of 40 mph, hit the driver’s side of the dump truck. The victim had non-described, but serious injuries.
Another train/highway vehicle collision occurred at this unprotected crossing in 1995.
In both accidents, it is virtually certain that the addition of flashing lights and crossing gates would have warned the drivers of the approaching trains. Both UP 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%.
