RALLY
AT THE RAIL DEATH SITE CALLS FOR GATES, LIGHTS AT
ALL CROSSINGS
Toledo Blade
September 9, 2001
Edon, Ohio -- About
50 people gathered yesterday near railroad tracks where a
woman and four children were killed July 1; the crowd called
on lawmakers to install gates and warning lights at all crossings.
"We
demand that all those responsible for public safety live
up to their moral obligation," said Vicky Moore, of
Canal Fulton, Ohio, head of the Angels on Track Foundation.
The
organization held rallies in five states yesterday "Ohio, Illinois,
Kansas, Texas, and Minnesota "to raise awareness of
railroad crossing safety efforts.
Among those in attendance
here were family and friends of the five victims of the Williams
County accident -- Wanda Petre, 37, a homemaker and church
youth group leader; her daughters, Amber, 14, and Chelsey,
9; her nephew, Bradley Krontz, 12, and Chelsea Green, 9,
a friend of the family.
"This is a
nightmare to go through, losing my wife, losing everyone," Terry
Petre said. "There's no reason every crossing in the
country doesn't have lights and a gate."
The victims were
on their way home to Angola, Ind., after a church picnic
when their car collided with a Norfolk Southern train at
County Road I. The crossing is marked only with crossbucks
signs.
The
Rev. John Garrison, father of Mrs. Petre and pastor of
Tri-State Church of Christ in Angola, fought back tears
as he addressed the crowd. "It's
been rough, especially considering this could have been prevented," he
said. "The only comfort I get is knowing my daughter
and these other dear people are with Jesus. And they didn't
suffer. It happened in a matter of seconds·I pray
no other families have to go through this."
Mrs. Moore, whose
son was killed in a train-car accident several years ago,
said Ohio has about 2,700 crossings marked with crossbuck
signs and ranks fourth in the nation in the number of vehicle-train
fatalities.
Funds for crossing
upgrades come from the state, but the issue should be a concern
for all government and railroad officials.
"Officials
need to realize this is the kind of spending taxpayers will
support because it makes our roads and communities safer," she
said.
Florence Township
officials have been urging the state to supplement crossbuck
signs with lights and gates at local grade crossings since
a June, 1999, train-car collision at County Road H took the
life of Sheena Jones, 17, who was returning from a baby-sitting
job.
"We tend to
get forgotten up here in the far corner of the state," said
Leo Seibenaler, a Florence Township trustee who attended
yesterday's rally. "If you're not Columbus, sometimes
you get missed."
The crossing at
County Road I is expected to receive upgrades of lights and
gates in the next 15 months, said James Seney, director of
the Ohio Rail Development Commission. Upgrades will be made
at the remaining Williams County crossings along the same
corridor, he said.
|
