Local reports show that 1 woman died and two others sustained injuries when two couples walked onto a railroad trestle to take pictures of the sunset on Saturday evening in southern California.
According to KSBY news, a train came around the corner and 3 of the 4 individuals could not run fast enough to escape.
Statistics show an increase in pedestrian train accidents nationwide.
A 2013 investigation by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch showed that deadly pedestrian train accidents had increased 25% in the first eight months of 2013 as compared with the same time period in 2012.
Saturday’s incident occurred almost 20 west of Santa Barbara, Calif., points to the difficulty of making railroad tracks secure. Putting up fences around the railroad tracks is often impractical, especially in areas that are not naturally high-traffic pedestrian zones.
A rail safety education group known by the name of Operation Lifesaver said that the main reason of train accidents involving pedestrians and motorists is poor judgment.
Other causes of rail accidents are written below:
- Misjudging the speed at which the train is coming on the station
- Attempting to beat a train across the rail tracks
- Distraction caused by using a mobile, texting, or listening to loud music
- A pedestrian or motorist under the influence of an intoxicant
- An individual becoming too familiar with a crossing and not acting according to the warning signs
- Walking or driving onto tracks immediately after one train has passed without looking for a train coming from the other direction
KSBY report also showed that the train involved in Saturday’s accident was traveling at the correct speed. One woman was killed at the accident spot and the second sustained moderate injuries. One man suffered life-threatening injuries and was rushed to a hospital by air and the second was not struck by the train.
News Source: News.Yahoo.com
