Florida Motorist Killed by CSX Train After Vehicle Hangs-Up on Crossing
(Dover, Florida – March 10, 2019)
An as-yet unidentified motorist was killed in Dover, FL when his Ford Mustang became hung up on CSX railroad tracks at the narrow, steeped crossing of Sydney-Dover Road and CSX rails about 11 PM, EDT Sunday.
CSX single track closely parallels the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard corridor. Satellite images of the scene showed how the narrow and steeped approach to the crossing did not allow for the slightest deviation of road traffic.
The motorist’s car became disabled for that very reason. The highway/rail crossing is equipped with flashing lights and gates, and the victim exited his car when the signals were activated, moving to a position away from the crossing where he thought he was safe. However, when the freight train’s lead locomotive struck the highway vehicle, it slammed it into its driver, killing him instantly according to Hillsborough County deputies who investigated the tragedy.
About 10 CSX trains traverse the crossing daily at a maximum allowable speed of 50 mph. The tragedy represented the third collision to occur there, and the sole fatality. The two previous accidents occurred prior to the installation of lights and gates,
