Railroad
Task Force Gets On Track
Delaware
Weekly
8/17/98
by: Robin
Mayes
The number of deaths
from car and train crashes in the state is decreasing and
the efforts of a local group may help to lower those statistics
even more.
After coming aware
of funds available for railroad crossing upgrades, Oxford
Township trustee Charles Sheets initiated the formation of
a county-wide railroad safety task force.
A Stark County couple
is offering $5.3 million to install warning devices at railroad
crossings. The money is the settlement Dennis and Vicki Moore
received after the vehicle in which their two sons and four
other young boys were riding was hit by a train at an unmarked
crossing. Three of the boys were killed, including one of
the Moores' sons. Their other son was seriously injured in
the crash at the site, which had a previous history of tragic
accidents, according to Sheets.
He said the Moores
initially offered the money they were awarded for upgrades
to railroad crossings in Stark and Wayne counties, but have
now opened the funding up to other counties willing to form
task forces to identify problem crossings and that are dedicated
to educating the public about railroad crossing safety. Portions
of the Moores money can be used in conjunction with state
and federal dollars to finance the installation of warning
system at targeted crossings.
Delaware County
deputy engineer Clyde Seidle, who is spearhearding the local
task force, said the group is currently compiling an inventory
of the county's 50 or more crossings and gathering data from
the various rail companies pertaining to each intersection.
So far, the task
force, which is still forming, includes members from the
Delaware County Sheriff's Office, the Ohio State Highway
Patrol, township trustees and transportation directors from
local schools.
According to statistics
provided by Dick Kimmins, media director for the Public Utilities
Commission of Ohio, 20 car and train crashes claimed the
lives of 27 people last year. Although higher than the 1996
statistic of 13 fatalities, the number was down significantly
from eight years ago, when 62 people died in 56 railroad
crossing accidents.
As of Aug. 5, seven
deaths had occurred at Ohio public crossings so far this
year, according to Kimmins. He said although the number represents
an "all time low," it is still too high.
"Our goal is
zero," he said.
Kimmins pointed
out that the statistics keep by his office refer only to "public
thoroughfare crossings."
"That does
not include the thousands of private crossings," he
said.
The last fatal car
and train crash in Delaware County was in 1995 at a crossing
on Berlin Station Road.
Ironically, Kimmins
said, a significant number of the fatal accidents occur at
crossings that are already equipped with warning signals.
That is why education is important, he said. Gates and lights
have been installed at 40 percent of the public crossings
in the state.
The cost to place
signaling devices at railroad crossings is between $140,000
and $180,000. Kimmins said the warning system is custom-designed
for each intersection, taking various factors into consideration.
Sheets is not content
to have only a Delaware County task force in place. He also
plans to encourage Morrow and Marion county officials to
follow suit.
Since contacting
the Moores, Sheets aid the two families have become friends.
The only son of Sheets and his wife, Betty, died in 1991.
Betty said the two couples have drawn close because of their
shared tragedy and their common desire to spare other families
the tremendous grief of losing a child to death, Sheets said.
Vicky Moore will
address the Delaware County Railroad Safety Task Force at
its meeting scheduled for Wednesday.
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