Car hit by train in West Point

Published 5:32 pm Thursday, November 1, 2018

A car was struck by a commercial CSX train at about 9 p.m. Wednesday night in West Point, according to West Point Police Department Captain Robert Fawley.

Authorities say the vehicle was traveling west on West 7th Street when the driver made a sharp right turn on the railroad tracks and bottomed out.

Fawley said the occupants of the vehicle tried for a few seconds to remove themselves and the car from the tracks and were unsuccessful.

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Eventually, the two individuals, along with their dog, were able to get out of the line of impact. Fawley said there was only about a minute between the vehicle getting stuck and the train hitting it.

Police say traffic in the Greater Valley Area was detoured to South I-85 for about an hour and a half.

Operation Lifesaver, a nonprofit public safety education and awareness organization dedicated to reducing collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail crossings and trespassing on or near railroad tracks, provides several tips for individuals driving near railroad tracks.

    Trains and cars don’t mix, so don’t race a train to the crossing.

    A train that a person can see is closer and moving faster than a person would think, so wait for it to pass.

    Trains can’t stop quickly, so even if the engineer sees a person, it can take more than a mile to stop if it’s moving 55 mph.

    Never drive around lowered gates because it’s illegal and deadly.

    Do not get trapped on the tracks. A driver should only proceed through a crossing if they can clear the tracks without stopping.

For more tips about driving near railroad intersections, visit oli.org.