North Dakota Motorist Killed at Dangerous, Unguarded BNSF Crossing
(March 1, 2023 – Mountrail County, North Dakota)
A motorist was killed last Wednesday when the vehicle he was operating was struck by a BNSF freight train at an unguarded, and dangerous crossing in Mountrail County, North Dakota. The vehicle was struck on the driver’s side and pushed off the tracks. The collision occurred on 66th Street NW at 3:51 p.m. The road was closed the rest of the day for investigators.
According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol, a 14-year-old boy was killed in the collision. His name has not been released.
The railroad-highway crossing where this collision occurred did not have any lights or gates. It is virtually certain that the addition of lights and gates could have prevented this tragedy. 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%.
The incident is under investigation by the highway patrol.
