(The following story by Kirsten Stanley appeared on The Ironton Tribune website on January 25. Tim Hanely is the BLET’s Ohio State Legislative Board Chairman.)
IRONTON, Ohio — Counselors are on hand at Ironton Junior High today helping students cope with the loss of two of their classmates.
Eighth-graders Lacey Parnell and Jamiesue Barker were both struck and killed by a Norfolk Southern train shortly before 4 p.m. when they were walking on tracks along U.S. 52, near the McPherson Avenue crossing on Ironton’s west end Wednesday.
A third girl, who is not being identified, was also walking along the tracks and reportedly tried to warn them and pull them off the tracks before jumping to safety. She was examined by paramedics at the scene, but suffered only minor injuries.
Ironton Police Chief Jim Carey said the teens were walking along the tracks en route from one of their houses to another when the accident occurred.
The police chief said the surviving teen confirmed that the train did blow its whistle. But, Carey said, the train came up behind the girls, which could have hampered their ability to hear it.
“Usually, your hearing is not as well from the rear,” he said.
It is not known how fast the train was traveling at the time of the accident, however Norfolk Southern confirmed that the track speed near Ironton is 50 mph.
Carey said he does not remember the last pedestrian train accident in the city limits where there were multiple victims.
Carey said no other information about the incident will be released.
At the scene Wednesday, crowds gathered, cried and held hands — many of them friends and acquaintances of the victims. Families of the victims were also brought to the scene.
The accident happened behind the home of Gary and Saralyn Lutz’s on Karin Street. They and other family members watched in horror from their kitchen as emergency crews surveyed the scene.
“It’s just a very sad situation. It just makes you sick to your stomach,” Gary Lutz said. “They were just so young.”
One of the girls’ classmates, who did not want to be identified, said, “You just never think it’s going to happen to someone you know. Everybody loved them. They were always laughing and having fun. That’s how I hope they will be remembered.”
Ironton Junior High Principal Tobey Schreck said the entire school is shocked by the loss of the girls, whom he described as “good quality, super kids” with lots of energy. They were a joy to be around, he said, and the school is mourning their loss.
A wide range of professionals — bereavement counselors, Hospice workers and ministers — have been called in to work with students in both small and large groups and individually, he said. They will also be at the school tomorrow and will be called in later, if necessary, he said.
“This is not something that is going to go away in a day. It is going to be a long process for all of us,” Schreck said.
According to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, the McPherson Avenue crossing is a private crossing and is not open to regular traffic. It has about 15 trains traveling over it during the day and 12 at night, PUCO reports.
The local Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen released a statement this morning saying, “Our deepest sympathies are extended to the friends and families of the victims,” said Tim Hanely, a representative of the union. “This event deeply saddens and troubles the rail community in southern Ohio.”
Hanely said public awareness of the inherent dangers associated with the rail industry must be raised.