(The following appeared on the Shreveport Times website on March 25, 2011.)
SHREVEPORT, La. — Thirteen people, including a Shreveport woman, were killed and another 65 were injured last year at Louisiana’s rail crossings. All told, there were 106 train-vehicle collisions throughout the state in 2010 — a 34-percent increase over the previous year.
Those statistics make the Pelican State one of the top in the nation for train-vehicle crashes, and resulting deaths and injuries. Nationally, Louisiana ranks fourth — behind California, Illinois and Texas — for rail crossing crash deaths. It’s third for the most injuries and in the top five for collisions, according to the latest statistics available from the Federal Railroad Administration.
Nationwide, rail crossing deaths, injuries and crashes also rose over the same time period. There were 261 fatalities, 810 injuries and 2,004 train-vehicle collisions across the country.
Operation Lifesaver officials say the increase may be due to a recovering economy, which created more traffic on the nation’s roads. The group, which touts itself as a rail safety education organization, has programs in all 50 states.
The full story is on the Shreveport Times website.