Canadian Pacific Train Hits, Seriously Injures Municipal Judge at Dangerous, Unguarded Crossing
(Ticonderoga, New York – July 25, 2011)
A Canadian Pacific Railroad maintenance of way work train plowed into a pickup truck driven by a local judge as he crossed CPR tracks at the dangerous, unguarded crossing of Kirby Point Road in Ticonderoga, NY Monday afternoon about 2:40 P.M.
Judge Keith Dolbeck, 63, of Ticonderoga, was eastbound as he crossed the tracks, only to be hit by the work train which consisted of a power unit pushing two loaded railroad cars. Obviously unaware that the train had hit the judge’s vehicle, the engineer shoved the victim four tenths of a mile beyond the crossing before stopping.
The crossing has neither lights, bells nor gates to warn motorists of approaching trains, and the truck was struck on the passenger side, with the judge suffering severe arm lacerations and other injuries. He was first taken to Moses Ludington Hospital in Ticonderoga, but was then airlifted to Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, VT, where he was reported to be in stable condition.
Ticonderoga Police Chief Mark Johns refused to say if the train blew its horn as it approached the crossing, but did say that since Kirby Point Road is a private crossing, trains are not required to blow their horns.
“It’s a little early to get into causes of the accident,” the chief said, but added that the visibility at the crossing as well as the train’s video recorder would be reviewed. Since the “train” was shoving cars, and the power unit was not a locomotive, but rather, a truck tractor/trailer modified to run on railroad tracks, there would be no recorder in existence on such a consist.
