(The Savannah Morning News posted the following article by Paula Reed Ward on its website on May 8.)
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Tuesday’s train wreck in Liberty County was the first fatal collision at that railroad crossing, but the fourth crash there in the last 15 years.
That, plus the fact the crossing is no longer needed under Federal Railroad Administration standards, will prompt one official to support closing it.
“They seem to be getting worse in severity,” said Thomas Drake, the regional crossing manager for the railway administration. “This one is redundant and certainly merits consideration for closure based on its collision history.”
Closing the crossing wouldn’t be a hardship, he added.
Another one is just two-tenths of a mile away.
The administration considers a crossing redundant if there are two or more in a rural area within one mile; in an urban area, there have to be at least four.
“Every crossing doesn’t have to be closed,” Drake said.
But, considering the low volume of traffic across this one — about 80 vehicles per day — and the high train volume — about 32 per day — there’s no need for the crossing, Drake said.
The crossing leads back to two separate mobile-home parks.
“I don’t think there would be any great inconvenience driving out to (U.S.) 84 in either direction.”
Though the railroad agency can recommend the crossing be closed, county officials will decide whether it stays or goes.
“Closure of the crossing is the sole prerogative of the road owner,” Drake said.
Liberty County Commissioner Marion Stevens Sr., said there was talk of closing that crossing years ago, but it never happened.
Now, he said, he’ll do what citizens say they want.
For now, people in the community cross the tracks there because many say they feel safer doing that than turning left across the highway onto U.S. 84 to head toward Hinesville. There have been several accidents at that intersection in recent years, including two fatal ones in 1999.
In 2000, Stevens and other county officials pushed to have flashing yellow lights installed to better mark the intersection. He worries that putting in a full traffic signal would be too dangerous because people coming down the hill might not be able to stop in time.
While Drake will recommend closing the railroad crossing, he said he will also take the safety concerns about the intersection at Ga. 196 and U.S. 84 to state transportation officials.
But Phillip Allen, traffic safety and design administrator for the Georgia Department of Transportation, said the intersection probably doesn’t have enough traffic to warrant a signal.
That’s one reason why Drake thinks the railroad crossing is unneeded.
Listed as Crossing No. 637344B, it has been the site of four accidents since 1988.
On Feb. 9, 1988, at 10:35 p.m. a car heading across the tracks stopped on the crossing. It was hit by a 39-car freight train being pulled by three locomotives.
The driver of the vehicle got out before the train hit the car, and no one was hurt.
On Dec. 28, 1993, another vehicle was hit at the same crossing about 7 a.m. That time, the car was trying to cross — going about 10 mph — when it was struck by a freight train pulling 84 cars. That train was traveling about 48 mph when it hit the vehicle. The driver was in the car when the train hit it, but no one was hurt. The last wreck there before Tuesday was in August 2000.
About 12:15 a.m. on Aug. 23, a truck got hung up on the crossing. As a 126-car freight train bore down on it at 47 mph, the truck driver fled and escaped injury.
The crossing has always been marked only with crossbucks — the X-shaped signs that alert motorists to a railroad crossing. Although some say the crossing needs more active warnings, like lights or crossing arms, it turns out most collisions between trains and vehicles occur at crossings with active signals, said Jennie Glasgow, the state coordinator of Operation Lifesaver.
To put up such gates or lighted signals costs about $150,000, Drake said, a cost which probably couldn’t be justified at such a rural location.