(Lumberton, North Carolina – January 31, 2013)
A 58-year-old grandmother, driving in her 2011 Chevrolet with her two grandchildren, ages nine and three, as passengers, was hospitalized Thursday after the three were struck by a slow-moving CSX freight train at the dangerous, unguarded crossing of CSX railroad tracks and East 10th Street in Lumberton, NC.
Lizzie Beth Robinson of Lumberton was taken to Southeastern Regional Medical Center in Lumberton with undisclosed injuries and was admitted with non-life threatening injuries. The injuries to, and treatment of, her two grandchildren was not disclosed by Lumberton Police.
What was disclosed, however, was that even though the CSX/E. 10th Street crossing is “protected” only by standard, passive railroad crossing signs and has no active protective devices, like flashing lights, bells and crossing gates, Mrs. Robinson was cited for failure to stop at the crossing. The train, which allegedly was traveling at seven mph, knocked the vehicle carrying Robinson and her grandchildren about 15 feet after impact.
Lumberton Police Captain Jerome Morton said that Mrs. Robinson was supposedly distracted by her grandchildren prior to the collision. There was no word on whether or not the grandchildren were cited.