Two people killed in wisconsin.

[cuestagrade]

This is a tragedy! Another statistic for Operation Lifesaver. Another reason why America should embark on a massive grade-seperation project.

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

Sorry to hear this.  Hopefully there can be something done in the future to prevent something like this happening again.

There is something that can be done:

Make driver's licence's something that one has to EARN with their knowledge of driving, not something that is given out to anyone that can figure out which way to aim their two-ton missile.

And make using a cell phone while driving a moving, ticketable violation. 

If we have to wear frikin' seatbelts for our "safety", then for "safety" ticket cell phone users.

I agree with zardoz 100%, we need to start ticketing these stupid people who can't pay proper attention to their driving because they are too busy yaking away on a cell phone.

CANADIANPACIFIC2816

[zardoz]

Far too many people violate a fundamental rule while driveing:

Never let your brakeing distance exceede your line of sight.

If conditions are so bad you can't do that then you have no bussiness driveing.

[zardoz]

Sorry to hear this.  Hopefully there can be something done in the future to prevent something like this happening again.

There is something that can be done:

Make driver's licence's something that one has to EARN with their knowledge of driving, not something that is given out to anyone that can figure out which way to aim their two-ton missile.

And make using a cell phone while driving a moving, ticketable violation. 

If we have to wear frikin' seatbelts for our "safety", then for "safety" ticket cell phone users.

[wcfan4ever]

Sorry to hear this.  Hopefully there can be something done in the future to prevent something like this happening again.

[chad thomas]

Far too many people violate a fundamental rule while driveing:

Never let your brakeing distance exceede your line of sight.

If conditions are so bad you can't do that then you have no bussiness driveing.

[jclass]

Here's Wisconsin's railroad commissioner's comments on rail safety including this accident.

http://www.wpr.org/webcasting/ideas_audioarchives.cfm?Code=mlr

(Click on "listen") 9/18G 11:45AM

[tree68]

me of how many people I see on the road, during heavy winds, and rain. That too is very dangerous, because when it storms heavily, people aren't going to be able to see whats in front of them on the road. I like to call it rain out conditions, as opposed to white or black out conditions. You'd also be amazed as to how many people attempt to drive on flooded roads; then they wonder why their car got stuck, hydrolocked, or swept away downstreem. Interesting........

Some years ago I was driving around St Louis (on the bypass - I-70/I-44) when I was suddenly caught in a downpour - with a capital "D".  I was in the "fast" lane (next to the median) which was lined with Jersey barriers.  I could still make out the barriers, but pretty much everything else was gone.  Fortunately, there was little traffic at that hour.  I was afraid to slow down or stop, or even to change lanes, as I could not see far enough to tell if there was anyone behind or beside me.  Had I been in the "slow" lane, I would have pulled off the road.

[fuzzybroken]

I know the area well, as I grew up a few miles north of there, and drove through the area frequently.  The train was a northbound, and emerges from underneath the highway (on a considerable embankment) to cross the frontage road on which the crash occurred.  That crossing is protected only by flashing lights, and I doubt they've been replaced with LED signals.  Even so, the lights should have been visible enough to stop, though that would require drivers to drive at a speed based on conditions.

I would assume one or both of the following in this incident:
1. The vehicle was traveling at a speed that was too fast for the heavy fog.
2. The driver figured that there wasn't really a train coming through there.
And I would heavily lean towards #2...

This crash does, however, remind me of a similar (early daylight, heavy fog) crash on the WSOR where it crosses US-151 (a fairly busy 4-lane divided expressway) several months back.  A man passed a line of cars stopped at the crossing, only to run into the 34th car (of 37) and was dragged several miles without the crew even noticing.  The man also died.  But I also assume one or both of the above numbered points in that accident as well...

[CSXrules4eva]

Oh my both crashes mentioned above sound terrible. At least in the second crash that CanadianPacific2816 mentioned people actually lived. 

God's good speed and blessings to those involved.

It looks like the NTSB needs to get involoved here to see what kind of recommendations or conclusions they can come up with, in regards to dense fog, and grade crossings.

This story reminds me of how many people I see on the road, during heavy winds, and rain. That too is very dangerous, because when it storms heavily, people aren't going to be able to see whats in front of them on the road. I like to call it rain out conditions, as opposed to white or black out conditions. You'd also be amazed as to how many people attempt to drive on flooded roads; then they wonder why their car got stuck, hydrolocked, or swept away downstreem. Interesting........

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

Grade crossing accidents like this one happen more frequently than most people would think. If this woman was driving in heavy fog, she may not have seen the train until it was too late. My sympathies are with the crew of the train. They will have to live with the knowledge that their train hit a car and killed those who were riding in it, for a long time to come. A similar accident like this one happend when a gentleman in my own state slammed into a Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern freight, and he too, was driving in heavy fog and more than likely did not see the train. This happened within the last week or so.

In January of '93 my youngest brother and a friend of his and my Mom were involved in a grade crossing colision with a Burlington Northern train just outside of Garretson, South Dakota. My brother was driving Mom's Oldsmobile Cutless Sierra, Mom was in the back seat. My brother was driving on an ice-packed road and when he hit the brakes the car slid out of control and into the train, striking the second locomotive in the consist. The car was totaled, my brother sustained some severe bruising to his chest as a result of impacting the steering weel, and my Mom came out of it with four broken ribs. They should have been killed outright, and I am convinced that some unseen power from above was present at this BN grade crossing when this happened. It simply wasn't their time to die.

CANADIANPACIFIC2816

[solzrules]

Sorry to hear about that.  It sounds like this was a genuine tragedy and not somebody trying to remove themselves from the gene pool (as is sometimes the case).  Fog can be a dangerous thing.  I hope the families of all involved can find comfort as best they can. 

[railfan619]

Hey everyone I was reading the news paper yesterday and I had read that two people in wisconsin were killed by a union pacific train in. Mt. Pleasant the police on the sence were saying that the weather might have been a factor cause it was really foggy out friday morning. The two people that were killed was a 53 year old woman and her 4 year old niece. The train pushed the car 1/2 mile before it could stop they were pronounced dead at the scene. From the picture in the paper the crew does not look to good. Also the witnessess did say that the lights were working at the time of the crash.