In a bizarre transportation accident, a man was killed recently in Pelham, North Carolina (NC) when his pick-up was hit by two trains. The two trains were traveling in opposite directions when they struck the truck. According to published reports, Robert Odell died in this collision with two trains in this unusual way. The exact cause is still being investigated by the North Carolina (NC) highway patrol. This incident happened off of a rural road that crosses the tracks in the northern North Carolina (NC). Grade crossing accidents take a lot of lives in North Carolina (NC), Virginia (VA), and throughout the U.S. each year. Death is often the result for the passengers in a vehicle struck by a train. The amount of force in a train wreck is huge. Passenger cars and trucks are not made to be able to withstand the force of a freight train striking the vehicle. Anytime someone is killed by the railroad at a grade crossing there are a common set of issues that should be looked at by an experienced railroad injury lawyer.
For example, did the train blow its whistle to give warning to the motorist? Was the grade crossing at a public or private road, which often determines the duties of the train and the motorist? What signs and warnings were at the grade crossing such as cross bucks, lights, or grades? Are there obstructions to the line of sight for the truck or the train such as vegetation that has been allowed to grow up around the crossing and the tracks?
Our firm has lots of experience in dealing with Norfolk Southern, Amtrak, and CSX as well as other short line railroad in these horrible tragic situations.