(Park City, Kentucky – September 7, 2011)
The tragic deaths that occurred at a dangerous, unmarked CSX Railroad crossing in Edmonson County, KY early Friday evening about 6:40 P.M. continue to reverberate in ripple effect, as it was revealed Wednesday that the accident orphaned the five daughters of driver Jeffery Cockrill and his wife, Stephanie.
The horrible occurrence also killed Samantha Coulter, leaving her husband, John Coulter, seriously injured. Trooper Jonathan Biven, public information officer for the Kentucky State Police said the lack of any eyewitnesses will be supplemented by videotape from the train’s locomotive nose camera.
“CSX has video in all their trains so we will be able to see exactly what happened, as far as did he try to beat the train (or) did he slow down,” said Trooper Biven. “We will be able to determine what his actions were prior to the collision.”
Biven also cited the lack of electronic protection at the crossing, saying “the only type of signal, if you want to call it one, is a yield sign – no lights, no bells. All there is a yield sign and a white railroad crossing sign.”
But the speculative, doubt-promoting argument that KSP officials “are still awaiting results toxicological tests that will determine whether Jeffery Cockrill may have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the wreck. Results from the toxicology tests are not expected to be returned for several months,” Biven declared.
