(The following story by Caitlin Cobb appeared on the California Aggie website on February 7.)
DAVIS, Calif. — Yolo County is home to multiple train tracks that transport cargo and passengers throughout the area and in the past few years, train-related incidents have been high.
Train accidents and casualties are a problem in Yolo County, though it is hard to define a real pattern to the incidents, said Robert Labrash, chief deputy coroner with Yolo County.
“[Train accidents] do happen … [the rate] has been pretty steady for the last two years,” Labrash said. “There’s really no rhyme or reason that I can see.”
Labrash said that according to statistics taken from the Office of the Deputy, there was indication that from January 2003 until the present there have been 12 individual train-related deaths in Yolo County. Five of the deaths were pedestrian accidents, four were ruled pedestrian suicides and one was ruled an automobile-train collision accident.
Additionally, there was a case of a suicide-homicide, when a car containing two individuals was parked on the tracks and hit by an oncoming train, Labrash said.
Crossing at train tracks is not only dangerous, but qualifies as trespassing as well, he added.
In addition, California leads the nation in the number of trespasser fatalities, possibly as a result of high population rates and high volume of trains, said Zoe Richmond, spokesperson for Union Pacific.
“Where we’ve been having the most issues is with people walking on the tracks … either crossing them or walking on them because they think it’s fun,” Richmond said.
A problem arises particularly in areas with a high population of young people or college students because train tracks become a common short-cut alternative. In 2006 there were 147 incidents of trains colliding with pedestrians, 87 of which resulted in fatalities in California, she added.
“That number has been increasing, which is why recently we’ve been trying to put up signs in those areas to alert people and educate people that it’s private property,” Richmond said.
Union Pacific has also working with the nonprofit organization Operation Life Saver. The staff of the organization work to educate communities about crossing tracks safely, how trains operate and other useful information, Richmond said.
In Davis, new signs warning against trespassing have been erected at various points around train tracks. Local law enforcement will play a key role in making sure the trespassing laws are enforced, said Sergeant Glenn Glasgow of the Davis Police Department.
“There’s an actual penal code which prohibits unauthorized entry on railroad property [and] is an actual misdemeanor,” Glasgow said.
The most common areas people attempt to cross are the train tracks located at the south end of F Street by Regal Cinema and at the intersection of 2nd and L streets. These places are often used as shortcuts to get from the downtown area to South Davis.
If an individual was caught crossing the train tracks, “essentially an officer would stop them and speak with them and issue them a citation,” Glasgow said.
The process of the citation-issuing is similar to receiving a speeding ticket, but since trespassing is a misdemeanor, the consequence is worse, he added.
The DPD said they predict that they will work with Union Pacific law enforcement in the near future to combat this issue. In order to effectively enforce the trespassing laws, it is necessary to station officers on both sides of the tracks, Glasgow said. By working with the law enforcement at Union Pacific, it will be easier to station the proper amount of officers near the train tracks, he added.
For more information on train and railway safety, visit the website of Operation Life Saver at www.oli.org.