Last month was National Safety Month, and while campaigns like that matter, nothing drives home the importance of safety like a real incident. Sadly, our team experienced one that we will never forget.
Kevin, my husband and co-owner, has been working in Portland with a crew that is boring under a set of double main lines. While he was on site reviewing the next work area, he walked toward a crossing just as a Union Pacific train cleared the intersection. As the gates were still down and the red lights continued flashing, an Amtrak train approached on the opposite track. From a distance, Kevin saw what looked like a trash bag being kicked up by the train.
It was not a bag.
It was a person, and he was killed instantly.
The man had simply been out enjoying a fall day. He tried to cross even though the signals clearly warned him that it was not safe. What he did not see was the Amtrak train coming from the opposite direction. First responders arrived quickly, but there was nothing anyone could do. We do not know his name, but our hearts are with his family, his friends, and every person now grieving a life lost in an instant.
Our prayers are also with the train crew and the first responders who had to endure the trauma of this event. And my deepest respect goes to Kevin, who witnessed the aftermath. These are the moments that stay with you, the ones that remind all of us how fragile life is around the rails.
A train does not stop quickly. Depending on the trainā€™s weight, conditions, and speed, it can take nearly a mile, and sometimes more, to come to a complete stop from around forty to fifty miles per hour. There is simply no chance for a pedestrian or a vehicle once they are on the tracks. This is why the signals, flashing lights, and crossing gates exist. They are not suggestions, they are lifesaving warnings.
So here is my call to action:
Teach your family, your children, your neighbors and your friends to respect the signals. When you approach a crossing, slow down. Stop. Watch. Listen. Never assume a track is clear, never try to beat the train, never ignore flashing lights.
If you know a railroader, you know that almost every one of them has a story like this, a moment that changed how they look at the job forever. These tragedies are preventable, and awareness is the first step.
Respect the rails. Respect the people who work on them. And above all, respect the signals that are there to protect every single one of us.
Author: Jennifer Winter
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