Amtrak Train #350 was involved in a fiery grade crossing accident on Tuesday near Jackson, Michigan. You can watch coverage of the incident from Lansing’s NBC affiliate, WILX’s, website. To view the videos, click on the two links over on the right side of the page. I’m pleased to see that the coverage is positive and does not take the sensationalistic approach that some television stations do. The passengers also said that they were pleased with how Amtrak was handling the disruption.
Most people who would visit this website are very rail safety conscious and even enjoy stopping to watch a train (my girlfriend says she’ll never have to worry about being hit at a grade crossing as long as I’m driving; I usually slow down and wait for one!). But as rail advocates we have a responsibility to “preach the word” about safety.
With the summer travel season upon us, tell your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, and everyone else that it is important to STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN at all rail crossings: especially those that do not have flashing lights or crossing arms. This is a particularly important message for teenage drivers, many of whom are beginning their first summer of driving on their own.