Two double fatalities at railroad crossings in the last six weeks has provided an unfortunate dose of reality about the potential dangers to motorists.
Late on Nov. 16, a car driven by 18-year-old Matthew Newland attempted to cross railroad tracks at U.S. 31 North and County Road 550N, near Taylorsville, where a flashing red signal intended to stop traffic was operational. The car was hit by a Louisville & Indiana train. Newland and the car’s passenger, 17-year-old Carmyn Elkins, were transported to two different hospitals, where they were pronounced dead.
On Oct. 8, a sport-utility vehicle attempted to cross train tracks in northern Bartholomew County, at County Road 900N near U.S. 31. Authorities said the occupants disregarded the stop sign and drove into the path of a southbound Louisville & Indiana train. Two of the occupants died, and a third was seriously injured.
This is a great concern because longer, faster and heavier CSX trains will be traveling along the Louisville & Indiana Railroad line starting this month, from Indianapolis to Louisville, cutting through Columbus, Seymour and other communities.
Louisville & Indiana Railroad and CSX Transportation received approval from the federal Surface Transportation Board in April 2015 to upgrade and jointly use the 106-mile L&I line from Indianapolis to Louisville.
Many people have the idea that they can drive over the tracks because the trains are moving slow and they can beat it. They can’t anymore.
The trains are going about 50 mph now in areas where there may be only stop signs or just lights at crossings — no crossing bars. Because motorists are conditioned here to having much slower moving trains, they may underestimate how much time there is before the trains arrive. With the higher speed trains, this is a fatal mistake.
If the lights are flashing and stop gates lowered, no one should be crossing. Even if one can’t see the train, if one hears the horn and the lights are flashing, the train is rapidly approaching. And especially at night, motorists will not be able to judge how fast the train is moving.
These fatal accidents are reminders to motorists to heed warnings, but they also should cause a moment of pause for L&I, CSX and the communities through which the rail line passes, such as Columbus. These accidents should make them think about what warning and prevention measures are at each of the crossings, and whether they are adequate or need to be upgraded.
If measures are deemed insufficient, such as lights present but not a needed stop gate, it would be in the best interest of the railroads and communities to work together on upgrades to reduce the risk of more tragedies in the future. At minimum, lights should be at every crossing.
Tragedies such as these are unfortunate and bad for everyone involved. We don’t need another fatal accident at a railroad crossing to remind us of that.
