Pennsylvania Motorist Killed at Dangerous, Unguarded CSX Crossing
(New Oxford, Pennsylvania – March 17, 2020)
A 64-year-old resident of Oxford Township, PA died at a hospital Tuesday morning after her vehicle was struck by a CSX freight train at the dangerous and unguarded crossing of Red Hill Road in New Oxford about 9:00 AM, EDT. The victim, Delores Foley-Zimmer, died of crash-related head trauma about an hour after an ambulance took her to UMPC Pinnacle Hanover Hospital in nearby York County.
The CSX train involved in the collision is the only daily train to operate over the crossing at a maximum speed of 25 mph, according to Federal Railroad Administration-held information.
The crossing where the collision occurred did not have any warning devices, such as lights and gates. It is virtually certain that lights and gates could have prevented this collision. CSX 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%.
