I would imagine there are folks that will read this who had at one time asked themselves when is it that I am going to publish a post covering this? What am I getting at? I’m talking about close encounters, those extremely close calls at railroad crossings. I mean who reading this hasn’t seen videos of people who, through their being totally inattentive, ignorant or just plain impatient, all-of-a-sudden found themselves in a difficult situation involving themselves and a train. It is the lucky ones that live to tell about it. In my life I have bore witness to some harrowing near-disasters. Some that have happened in front of me, quite literally.
One that was of particular note happened at a Fresno crossing and involved a driver of a pickup truck in so much of a hurry, apparently, that this person actually drove their vehicle off of the roadway surface and onto railroad property, then around the back end of the then already lowered gate (the part of the gate arm where the counterweights are), sped across the two tracks, and with only seconds to spare, was narrowly missed being hit. No harm, no foul, right? Hardly.
The second occurrence, also in Fresno and far more tame by comparison, happened at a different railroad crossing, this one adjacent to the Santa Fe (Amtrak) depot, of all places. What I’m about to reveal was like nothing I had ever seen before.
I was stopped in a lane of traffic at the Tulare Street crossing along with other drivers in cars also heading east. The train occupying the crossing was a relatively short, but slow-moving freight. The crossing here has a median barrier and it’s also outfitted with bells, signal lights and two sets of double gates (one each for the two lanes that cross in each direction).
So, here is this driver who happened to be in the slow lane second behind the crossing limit line, who apparently had decided that they no longer wanted to wait. So what does this driver do? Steers the vehicle to the right, drives off the roadway pavement and onto the cobblestone (brick) station platform, first on the north end and then on the east side of the station building between it and the tracks. This was all unfolding right before mine and others eyes, that is, until the vehicle was blocked from view by the building itself and was thus out of sight.
Before the train made its way completely through and past the crossing, all of a sudden the same truck reappears, not on the opposite side of the tracks, but on the same side but now sitting perpendicular to Tulare Street and still on the station promenade.
Here is what I want to know. How could anyone witnessing this maneuver not have been thinking “is this person serious?!” It is entirely plausible that maybe the errant driver thought about the possibility of driving onto the station platform, then somehow making it to the station parking lot and exiting onto I think Q Street (the street that fronts the station on the west side), head south and then cross the tracks at Ventura Street.
If memory serves me well, what wound up happening was not only did this driver have to wait for the train to clear, but that of the motor vehicle traffic waiting at the crossing as well before their being able to do likewise.
I doubt this driver will ever be in this identical situation again. But in the rare chance that this driver is, I doubt they will try this same “stunt” again. How could the actions of this individual be categorized as anything but?
Editor’s Note: This last one describes a situation where motorist and passenger were at the wrong place at the wrong time but the evasive action taken was absolutely the right one.
I was on a train once that hit a vehicle either stalled or stuck on the tracks. I don’t know which. It was in 1964.
I was on my way with my mom and dad to the New York World’s Fair. The car’s occupants had the presence of mind to exit the vehicle and stand far enough away so as to be out of harm’s way. They absolutely made the right decision as their car could always be replaced. The train, I’m sure, came through this completely unscathed except for some maybe minor damage being sustained.
The good news? Each of these “close encounters” had positive outcomes, thank goodness!
Image data: All, Alan Kandel
Updated: Feb. 24, 2024 at 4:47 p.m. PST.
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