(October 12, 2022 – San Antonio, Texas)
A recent collision in San Antonio near the Gibbs Sprawl and Walzem railroad crossing has the community demanding solutions to a serious conflict between trains and traffic. The San Antonio police reported that “when a train came to a dead stop at the rail crossing on Sunday morning, one driver got tired of waiting for the train to move on and made a life-altering decision” (KENS5). The 78-year-old driver made an illegal U-turn into the path of an SUV resulting in tragic results.
The collision caused the driver to spin multiple times, deploying the airbags in both vehicles, and brakes displayed in the SUV, causing the driver to coast to a stop about 50 yards away. Thankfully, the driver of the SUV remained uninjured but the 78-year-old was rushed to the hospital. People who live in the area say that the railroad grade crossings are becoming increasingly more dangerous in rural areas.
A frequent driver of the area, John Owns said he has experienced several near-miss collisions from drivers trying to beat the train or speed away. He told KENS5 that “the area is growing by leaps and bounds. We have new subdivisions going up on an almost daily basis. This is increasing exponentially with our traffic flow and everyone is sitting in the same situation and it is critical.” He said that he wishes someone would warn drivers about the long waits.
There are no solutions that would be a low financial cost the price estimate for future funding was estimated at $35 million. Owens plans on reaching out to the State Representative because a local solution is not in the works. San Antonio Public Works Department said prior opportunities to study and improve the issue, “failed to receive public support” (KENS5).
The stopped trains cut the town in half and resulted in numerous other traffic accidents. The community is demanding that improvements be made. And the San Antonio Police are still investigating the collision.