Friendly reminder about the elderly and RR crossings

[LMT66]

For those of you who have elderly parents that still drive, I want to urge you to talk to them about what to do if they ever find themselves in this situation.

The elderly woman, a retired Nun, attempted to cross a set of RR tracks. She turned too soon and drove onto the second track with one tire inbetween rails, then realized what she did. Just as she figured this mistake out, a full speed Amtrack train was coming down the line towards her and on the track she drove onto.

She is fine and was pulled from her car by two guys before the train hit her vehicle.

According to one of the LEO's there, a couple guys pulled her out, before the train hit her car. She had called, and was talking to a 911 operator on her cellphone for help as they opened her door and yanked her out. She was confused but certainly able to get out of her car.

Tell folks you know that are older, that if they are on RR tracks for whatever reason, GET OUT IMMEDIATELY AND WALK AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE AND THE RR TRACKS.

Her car took a little ride without her today. The crossing she was at when she made her mistake, is about a 1/4 mile to the right of the crossing I took these photo's at.

.............

 

[Shann]

Good post and pictures. An elderly couple was recently killed near me when they drove in front of a train at an unregulated intersection. According to newspaper reports, the most surprising thing was that they lived right near the tracks so they were certainly aware of it.

 

[Bob W]

Not to be mean, but if a person is so easily "confused", perhaps their driving days should be over?

Good thing those guys were there to get her out of the car. Heroes in my book. :thumbup:

 

[LMT66]

Not to be mean, but if a person is so easily "confused", perhaps their driving days should be over?

Good thing those guys were there to get her out of the car. Heroes in my book. :thumbup:

Living in a big city that is the transportation hub of the nation, with RR tracks criss-crossing the entire area, I see far more young people in the news getting hit by trains after going around lowered gates or trying to beat a train than old folks who have a senior moment.

We all get old but care and concern from family never does.

 

[Psychopomp]

I think this is a good reminder for everyone, not just the elderly. Trains and cars do not mix.

A few years ago I was behind a car that did the stereotypical stalling on the railroad tracks and wouldn't start with a train coming. Fortunately the trains around here move very slowly and was able to stop (it was only an engine). It had traffic backed up for a while though and the girl driving the car was in a state of complete panic.

In the end nothing happened, but it was just one more reminder to look both ways and, maybe more importantly, listen before you cross a track that doesn't have cross beams to block traffic.