(The following story by Nicole Warburton appeared on the Deseret Morning News website on August 14.)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Over the past decade, at least 15 people were reported killed in train accidents in Utah, most of which were at highway rail crossings, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.
The rail-crossing accidents in Utah were fewer than in surrounding states, but safety advocates, the federal government and railroad companies want fatalities lowered to zero. Union Pacific Railroad held a news conference Monday to remind people about safety around rail crossings and along train tracks, particularly as parents and students prepare for the start of school.
“As we focus our energies and attention on our hectic schedules, we often become preoccupied with the rush of life and forget the most important activity is to arrive safely to our homes and activities,” said Dale Bray, public safety director for Union Pacific. “Slow down, take a minute and make wise decisions.”
Of the 15 people killed in Utah from 1998 until May 2007, at least 10 were reported as accidents at grade crossings, where the rail crosses over a roadway. Another three deaths were reported as accidents that happened while a person was crossing a rail line at a place other than an authorized crossing.
Nationwide, there were 3,630 deaths related to railway crossings between 1998 and May 2007. Of those, 1,558 were grade-crossing deaths, and 1,892 were deaths along rail lines at unauthorized crossing points. California had 502 total deaths during that time period, while Arizona had 82 fatalities and Idaho had 24.
“When a 55 mile-per-hour train takes more than a mile to stop, all an engineer does is put on the horn, put on the emergency brakes and hope and pray a person gets out of the way,” said Lee Ann Dickinson with the Federal Railroad Administration.
Nancy Emro, a volunteer with the nonprofit rail-safety group, Operation Lifesaver, said her 17-year-old son was hit and killed in 2000 by a train while he was on his way home from school. Her son had decided to take a shortcut across the rail tracks rather than go through a designated crossing.
“He was standing too close to the railroad tracks and was hit by the train as it went by,” Emro said.
Shelly Harshaw, the Nebraska coordinator for Operation Lifesaver, offered several tips for people to stay safe around rail lines, including to always cross at designated crossings, always expect a train, remember that trains can’t swerve like cars, and if your car stalls on a railroad track, “get out and get away.”
Several rail accidents have happened this year at grade crossings. Nationwide, a total of 134 people have been killed and 350 injured. Utah has reported no fatalities and three injuries at grade crossings, according to Federal Railroad Administration statistics.