(The News Journal posted the following story by Mike Billington on its website on September 10.)
WILMINGTON, Del. — A 48-year-old Smyrna man was charged Tuesday with driving under the influence after police said he drove his lawn tractor across railroad tracks and was hit by a 21-car freight train.
Delaware State Police spokesman Lt. Tim Winstead said Charles Melvin was airlifted to Christiana Hospital, where he was admitted with a broken arm, broken ribs, facial fractures and cuts.
Winstead said the accident happened at 3:20 p.m. in the 700 block of Blackbird Greenspring Road, near Smyrna.
According to police, a Norfolk Southern freight train was northbound and was approaching a section of track that crosses a privately owned drive. Melvin was mowing the lawn there, Winstead said.
As the train approached the crossing, Winstead said, railroad workers saw Melvin and tried to stop the engine. They were unable to stop the train, but they did slow it down. The train was moving at about 15 mph when it struck the tractor as Melvin tried to cross the tracks, Winstead said. Melvin was thrown from the tractor.