Elderly Wyoming Motorist Dies at Dangerous, Unguarded Crossing
(Casper, Wyoming – November 21, 2011)
An 87-year-old driver from Casper, WY was killed early Monday morning a little after 5:00 A.M. when his Ford pickup truck became stuck at the dangerous, unguarded crossing of Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks and County Road 121 (Bishop-Haines Road) north of Casper, WY and was struck by a BNSF freight train.
Curtis Lovelace, the driver, may have experienced difficulties at the crossing, which is equipped only with passive railroad crossbuck signs rather than lights, bells or gates, due to the large amount of snow which was present there.
The 124-car BNSF train was traveling at 38 mph when it struck the victim’s vehicle. Natrona County Coroner Connie Jacobson pronounced Lovelace dead at the scene due to severe trauma.
