Stone County Sheriff talks railroad crossing safety after train crashes into truck
STONE COUNTY, Miss. (WXXV) — One person is seriously injured after a train collided with a truck in Stone County on Monday afternoon, according to the Stone County Sheriff’s Office.
The crash took place on Pump Branch Road just before 1 p.m. The sheriff’s office says a 68-year-old man driving a truck ran a stop sign, crashing into the train.
The man was severely injured and taken to an area hospital. He was later life flighted to USA hospital in Mobile.
Sheriff Todd Stewart is now making a public safety announcement regarding safety when crossing railroad tracks in Stone County.
“The problem seems to be people failing to yield to the trains. Trains never have to yield. Our folks maybe are not understanding that they must yield to the train. That means slowing down and looking both ways before crossing over the tracks. It’s kind of life entering an intersection. You need to slow down, stop, in most cases, because if it is a posted stop sign, you are required to stop before crossing over the tracks,” said Sheriff Stewart.
He says this is not the first incident of its kind in the county. Sheriff Stewart notes that most railroad crossings in the county do not have crossing arms to alert drivers when a train is approaching. Because of this, drivers are expected to obey posted stop signs and carefully check for oncoming trains before crossing the tracks – a step that can help prevent situations like this one.
“Money drives everything, and crossing arms are expensive to install. But again, common sense should take place in cases involving railroad tracks, and as a public service announcement, I would like to tell everybody, treat train tracks as if a train is coming until you verify one is not on the tracks,” said Sheriff Stewart.
The sheriff is urging drivers in the county to avoid distractions like phones, and slow down and be mindful when crossing the tracks.
