(The following story by Erin Bock appeared on the Opelika-Auburn News website on October 25.)
OPELIKA, Ala. — CSX Transportation and the Auburn police hit the streets Wednesday morning to make sure residents were on the right track with railroad safety.
Officials from the Federal Railroad Administration, Auburn Police Division, CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern gathered at the railroad crossing at Dean Road and South College Street for a crossing safety blitz.
The group passed out information and urged drivers to pay attention when crossing the tracks.
Bob Martin, the supervisor for public safety awareness at CSX Transportation, said the group passed out material to nearly 4,000 people.
The safety blitz was part of a new program the company kicked off in the Auburn area called “Keep On Living.”
In addition to passing out materials, the group also set up signs at several railroad crossings in Auburn bearing the message, “Look, Listen and Live.”
One crossing that received signs was at Lee Road 51 and Alabama Highway 14, where accidents claimed the lives of two people in the last two years.
On Dec. 19, 2005, Auburn resident Tamara Bailey, a 24-year-old mother of two, was killed when her car was struck by a CSX freight train.
Edward Zeigler, of Montgomery, was also killed when a CSX freight train hit his truck on Sept. 20, 2006 at the same crossing.
Other crossings in Auburn have been the scene of fatal crashes in the last five years.
Dr. Allen Heath, a professor of veterinary medicine at Auburn University and a father of three, was killed when his truck was hit by a CSX train at a crossing near Donahue Drive on March 30, 2006.
Auburn resident Jerome Brooks, 28, was killed on Stage Road when his car was struck by a CSX train on Sept. 23, 2004.
Martin said there have been 14 incidents at railroad intersections in Lee County since 2004.
So far this year, there have been 125 collisions in Alabama and 11 fatalities, said Martin.
Although officials were only passing out materials on Wednesday, Martin said the awareness campaign will be followed by enforcement by the Auburn police at a later date.
CSX will also be passing out information at Auburn University’s homecoming in November to help raise student awareness, said Martin.
“Auburn is a college town,” he said, “With an influx of student population year-round, we thought it would be a good idea to reach out to them.”
Martin said he hopes the signs and materials will get all drivers to pay closer attention while driving near crossings.
“We’re creatures of habit and when we do the same thing day after day, we become complacent,” he said, “Maybe this will work by changing or interrupting (drivers’) daily train of thought.”