Georgia Motorist Seriously Injured by CSX Train at Dangerous, Unguarded Crossing
(Waycross, Georgia – November 7, 2013)
A collision between a northbound 2006 Chevy Equinox and an eastbound CSX freight train at the dangerous, unguarded crossing of CSX railroad tracks and Division/Crossover Road in Waycross, GA sent a local woman to a Jacksonville, FL hospital, where she was admitted in critical condition.
Lindsay Annett Joyce, 34, had her vehicle struck on the driver’s side, spun around to the south side of the tracks, and thrown some 60 feet, overturning several times and ejecting the victim before placing it about 30 feet from Highway 82, which parallels the CSX tracks. Ms. Joyce was airlifted by AirEvac helicopter to the University of Florida Shands Hospital for treatment of undisclosed injuries.
The street, only about a block long, connects Route 82 with Knight Avenue, which parallels the CSX tracks on the opposite side of the rail corridor, which carries a maximum timetable speed of 40 mph, with the road/rail intersection not equipped with any active protection, such as lights and gates. It is virtually certain that lights and gates would have prevented this incident. Both CSX and Operation Lifesaver know 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 accidents by as much as 96%.
Short as the street is, Thursday’s accident marked the fourth collision and the first non-fatal injury at the crossing where there was a fatality several years ago. The other two accidents were non-injury situations.