Amtrak Train Strikes and Kills Pedestrian in South Carolina
CHARLESTON, SC- Thestate.com writes that a train collided with a pedestrian in South Carolina late last week. The incident occurred in the late morning. Amtrak notified the public of the incident and reported that the person struck was a “trespasser.” The train was traveling from Savannah at the time of the wreck.*
In 2018, 282 people died in train-related incidents in the United States. Most of these accidents take place close to the victim’s home. About 75 percent of individuals killed in train accidents die in crashes about 25 miles from that person’s house, and half of all crashes occur within five or fewer miles from the person’s home.
People near trains should remember to exercise extreme caution, as train accidents are particularly deadly. A driver in a crash with a train is about twenty times as likely to be killed as a driver involved in a crash with another automobile.
When walking, only cross at designated crosswalks. The tracks and train yards are considered private property, and those who enter those areas will be considered trespassers. Trespassing on train property can cause a person to face fines and be arrested. However, the penalties for getting caught trespassing are mild compared with the risk of being struck and killed by a locomotive. Trains cannot stop quickly. Once an operator attempts to stop a train, it will continue to travel for a mile or longer before coming to a halt. Never try to cross when a train is approaching and do not cross immediately after a train has just passed. A second train can always be on its way, and might not be noticeable behind the first train.
Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes. To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.
Sources:https://www.thestate.com/news/state/south-carolina/article239127013.html and https://oli.org/track-statistics/collisions-casualties-year and https://oli.org/safety-near-trains/walking-safely-near-tracks