(Placentia, California – December 9, 2011)
An as-yet unidentified male motorist believed to be in his 30’s was killed Friday morning just before 8:00 A.M. when his Toyota Corolla was struck and dragged a quarter of a mile by a Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight train at the Tustin Street crossing with BNSF railroad tracks.
Not only did the collision occur in one city, Placentia, CA, and the accident scene end in Anaheim, CA, but also in a Federal Railroad Administration-designated “Quiet Zone”, where train engineers are not required to sound their horns except in an emergency, and elaborate crossing gates, medians and warning signals are installed in order to prevent accidents.
The victim, still alive, had to be extricated from his heavily-damaged Toyota by emergency personnel, but died before he could be freed from the wreckage.
