(Mapleton, Utah – June 26, 2020)
A 61-year-old male motorist was airlifted to an area hospital Friday after he was struck by Union Pacific freight train at the dangerous and unguarded crossing of Road 2400 East near Mapleton, UT in Utah County. The victim was not identified by name.
The railroad tracks are owned by Union Pacific and is crossed by a daily average of eight trains of four different railroads at a maximum allowable speed of 60 mph. News media and law enforcement representatives both noted that the crossing, was not equipped with flashing lights or gates.
The collision Friday was the third collision to occur there and was the second non-fatal injury incident. The fatal incident occurred on July 1, 1994, when three vehicle occupants were killed by a Union Pacific freight train. It is almost certain none of the three tragedies would have occurred had lights and gates been installed and were operating properly. Studies 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%.