| Posted by Dan I. on October 2, 2021 | |
As a retired long distance truck driver for over 43 years, I just do not understand why drivers will not stop at grade crossings when the lights are flashing or even if there is only a crossbuck. People are too impatient to wait or at least look anymore before they cross the tracks. I have witnessed several, several times during my truck driving career, semi's will stop with the trailer hanging over the rails. And yes, I have seen what a train can and will do to a truck. Especially cars. It is no match. Talking on the cellphone and texting is another reason why accidents occur with trains at grade crossings and vehicles on the roadways. Just DRIVE and ONLY Drive. If you gotta talk or text, then pull off the road! About five years ago, a 23-year old female driver ran into the back of my trailer at 80 MPH in Colorado in the Rockies as you come out of the Denver area heading West on I-70. Reason: Texting while driving. Did not bother to look up and see my truck and trailer with the flashers on in the far right lane while pulling a long steep grade. To this day, she is in a wheelchair for life. Look at the photo closely and think about it. Being in a hurry all the time can and will get you or someone else injured, maimed for life, or unfortunately killed.
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I live in a small Michigan town on the Chicago-Canada mainline. The vast majority of people wait, since they're locals. I've seen several people decide to race a train. We get Amtrak through town, and once lady decided to try to beat it. A train that keeps down the trains for under a minute when it's at speed, as it was this time. It has recently stopped raining, so the rubber covers between the tracks were slick. She slid on the first and more on the second. She narrowly escaped getting crushed by an at speed Amtrak. She ended up basically parallel with the tracks. She honked her horn and shook her first at the train, swearing, then went on like she missed a red light and sailed through an empty intersection.
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