The number of incidents where both passenger and commercial trains collide with cars or hit pedestrians has surged in recent years, often a dangerous combination of fast-moving trains, lacking safety measures at railroad crossings and improper protocol followed by railroad employees. Unfortunately, the ones who suffer most are the members of the communities with which the railway lines intersect.

In May of 2018, a mother and child in Rosepine, Louisiana were driving to a neighboring subdivision when they almost died as they attempted to traverse a railroad crossing that separated the two areas. Fortunately, they were both wearing seatbelts—a fact that kept them alive as the train hit the rear, right side of their vehicle. What’s troubling is that the crossing site had no guard rail, crossing arms, or flashing lights, despite having been the site of seven other accidents involving trains. “If there is a crossing, there should be lights and crossing arms that block drivers from… going around and between,” commented local resident, Candace Almond. Other residents echoed such concerns, begging the question, who is responsible for public safety when it comes to railroad crossings?

Such incidents are not isolated. Within days of the Louisiana collision, a train crashed into two vehicles at a grade crossing in Jacksonville, Florida. Amber Kaliontis, a witness who is employed at a nearby strip mall says that odd-angled roads and numerous traffic lights make the crossing area dangerous. “There are constantly accidents, people getting hit...” stated Kaliontis.

And when people are hit, death is often the unfortunate outcome. Recently, a 27-year-old single father was struck and killed by a train while heading to work in Jacksonville’s Avondale area. In April in a neighborhood of Valrico, Florida, a young man died after walking onto tracks near a railway crossing while wearing earphones.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) reported that 69 people died in Florida when struck by a train in 2017—a trend that is not limited to the Sunshine State. Nationally, the number of individuals hit and killed at railroad crossing is on an uptick. Recent reports show fatalities involving Amtrak trains have increased from 119 in 2008 to 167 in 2017, with a vast majority involving pedestrians or vehicles either trespassing a track or at a railway crossing.

Data released by the Highway Safety Research Group at Louisiana State University (LSU) shows 266 people died at railroad crossings in 2016, a 16 percent increase from the previous year.

With many of these crossings near favorite community spots or in the heart of busy neighborhoods, there is an urgent need to determine the underlying cause of so many tragic accidents. Should pedestrians and drivers assume a more cautious approach, knowing it takes a train more than a mile to come to a full stop? Or should more railway crossings receive modern safety updates as communities proliferate near formally rural areas—potentially costing taxpayers $100,000 to $200,000 a piece? Certainly a significant cost, but does it compare to the price some community members are paying with their lives?

If you or someone you love is injured in an accident involving a grade crossing, you may be entitled to legal and financial compensation. Call 800-519-RAIL to speak with a dedicated railroad crossing accident attorney with Jacksonville's Rail Justice.