An accident at a railroad crossing in Alabama (AL) that left two people in a pickup truck in a critical condition, has again highlighted the inherent dangers of railroad crossings.
The accident occurred on Tuesday on Bayou Avenue and Highway 43 in Satsuma, Alabama (AL). Fox 43 reported how the truck was hit by a train. A witness reported the truck crossed the railroad track in front of an approaching train which struck the truck, causing it to spin around three or four times and hit a pole.
Police said witnesses indicated the driver may have been trying to beat the train. But police also said distracted driving may have been a factor because the driver appeared to have been in a conversation with the passenger.
Last month, we reported on how an Amtrak train rolling from Richmond to Newport News, Virginia (VA), collided with a pickup truck in the town of Lanexa on Friday, February 25, 2011. The crash, which occurred at a grade crossing that had no gates or warning lights, left the pickup’s driver dead. It is the second fatal rail accident along the tracks owned by CSX in the past six months.
A woman leaving a produce stand in Norge, Virginia, died on July 31, 2010, when a freight train slammed into her car at a private crossing marked only with a stop sign. However, the crossing in Satsuma had warning lights and another vehicle had stopped as the train approached.
People in Virginia and elsewhere need to slow down or stop at all crossing and look and listen for trains. And drivers should never try to beat a train at a crossing.
DM