Missouri Motorist Killed at Dangerous, Unguarded BNSF Crossing
(Rogersville, Missouri – June 12, 2021)
A Missouri woman was killed after her 2011 F-350 pick-up truck was violently struck by a BNSF freight train. The collision occurred at the dangerous, unguarded crossing near Porter Crossing Road near Rogersville. The victim, Joyce Gorsek, suffered catastrophic injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The crossing where this collision occurred accommodates a daily average of 24 trains at typical train speeds of 50 miles per hour. This is the second collision at this crossing, with the prior collision occurring less than two months ago, on April 30, 2021.
Despite the high frequency of trains and speed, this crossing did not have any active warning devices, such as lights and gates. It is virtually certain that if BNSF would have installed lights and gates, these two collisions could have been prevented. BNSF 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%.
