One Killed and Two Seriously Injured in South Carolina at Dangerous, Unguarded Norfolk Southern Crossing
(Hopkins, South Carolina – June 12, 2023)
A Hopkins, South Carolina collision between a Norfolk Southern freight train and box truck killed one individual and seriously injured two others. The collision occurred at 3:51 last week just off Third Street in Hopkins. According to the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the box truck was traveling east on Third Street and the Norfolk Southern freight train was traveling south at the time of the collision.
The one person that was killed and the two others that were injured have not yet been identified by local officials.
Norfolk Southern records submitted to the Federal Railroad Administration indicate that there is a daily average of twelve freight trains that typically travel through this crossing going 49 miles per hour. Despite the relatively high number of train traffic and speeds approaching 50 miles per hour, this 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. 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 South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the collision.
