(The following report by John Merrifield appeared at KPVI.com on June 29.)
POCATELLO, Idaho — Every two hours in the United States, there is a collision between a car and a locomotive. Chris Arvis with Operation Lifesaver knows the danger of a driver rushing the train.
Chris Arvis: “I have been involved in 15 car/train collisions; 14 of them have been from Blackfoot north, this area that we are covering.”
That’s why, from Idaho Falls to Rexburg, Operation Lifesaver is taking place.
City, county, and state law enforcement watch for impatient drivers who try to beat the train and are helping them realize the danger of crossing the line.
Chris Arvis: “We are out here to change driving habits, and get the word out to the people. Some of this is actually a re-education and to get the rules and laws out there – the bottom line is to promote traffic safety.”
Lt. Weadick looked from the front of the train, spotted the driving offenders and radioed the cars’ descriptions to the waiting law enforcement.
As the train gets closer to the intersection, crossing lights start to flash and bells sound. When it gets even closer, the conductor blows his horn…. and it’s too late to drive any further.
Chris Arvis: “Anytime you have flashing lights at an intersection, you are required to come to a complete stop. And you may proceed if it’s safe to do so – keyword is “if” it’s safe to do so.”
Operation Lifesaver is dedicated to eliminating these accidents.
Lt. Chris Weadick: “It’s not worth it to put their family in jeopardy, not worth it putting other motorists in jeopardy, and it’s certainly not worth it putting the engineer in jeopardy. The whole purpose behind this is to limit crossing collisions, fatalities and injuries to the motoring public.”