(January 16, 2023 – Osgood, Indiana)
An Indiana motorist was life-flighted to UC Medical Center after her vehicle was struck by a CSX freight train. The injured motorist has been identified as 67-year-old Diane Vest. According to the Ripley County Sherriff’s Department, the collision occurred last Saturday at about 6:00 pm at the Sycamore Street railroad-highway grade crossing. It was reported that Ms. Vest was northbound on Sycamore Street when she approached and as struck by the CSX train.
CSX owns the crossing where this collision occurred. According to CSX-submitted records, the crossing sees trains with typical daily speeds of 40 miles per hour. There was also a prior collision at this crossing in April of 2014. Yet, the crossing lacked any active warning devices, such as lights and gates.
It is virtually certain that the addition of lights and gates could have prevented this tragedy. Both CSX and Operation Lifesaver know that 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 collisions by as much as 96%.
Ripley County EMS, Ripley County Medic and Osgood Fire assisted at the tragic scene of this crash.