Car
Hit By Train
WKBN/WYTV
Thursday, July 18, 2013
By: Roxann Sebest, Video
Journalist
A man who police say was running
late for work Thursday morning tried to get around a train
crossing in Salem and was hit by a train.
According to Salem police, a man driving a teal Chevrolet Cavalier
tried to get around a stopped car and railroad gates at Allen
Road near state Route 14 and his car was struck by the oncoming
train.
“One car already stopped
at the crossing, gates were down and lights were flashing.
He disregarded all that and drove around the gates,” said
Lt. Donald Beeson. “He
almost got across the tracks when the train hit the left rear
corner of the vehicle.”
The driver suffered what appeared
to be minor injuries and was taken to Salem Community Hospital.
Police said the car was registered to a 32-year-old Alliance
man.
The tracks on Allen Road see
a lot of heavy traffic, especially in the morning as many motorists
are traveling to work at a plant on the other side of the crossing.
The Angels on the Tracks Foundation
monitors crossings across the state. The organization’s founder, Vicky Moore, lost
her son at a railroad crossing near the Stark and Wayne County
border. That crossing had only a crossing buck, which is a
sign with the words “railroad crossing” written
on it. The crossing did not have a gate or lights.
“Our foundation never condones
going around downed gates,” Moore
said. “You’re always supposed to proceed with extra
caution and always expect a train.”
Moore said it is not always the
driver’s fault when there
is a collision. Any crossing can pose a threat. Sometimes there
are sight obstructions, blocked crossings, or signals that
are not functioning properly. Moore urges anyone to report
any malfunction or hazard on their website.
The driver involved in the Allen
Road accident will be cited for disregarding the crossing.
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