Sad day before Thanksgiving car/train accident

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I live in an area where trains run buy my place about 40 times a day, so it's really busy on the rails.
I was out working on the tractor when I heard a northbound BNSF coming he blew his horn once then twice then hit it hard and non stop, then I heard the couplers crash together on the train, braking hard (called throwing the train into emergency) I knew it was not good, I jumped into the truck and hauled butt down to the crossing 3/4 mile down the road, and there it was, a car had been hit and thrown about 400 feet down the track.
I ran over to the car and it had taken a huge hit, I started looking for injured, there was only the driver, and I had to work to get to her and check her for signs of life, Sadly she did not survive the collision.
It's hard to explain the engineer or brakeman's reaction when he came running from over a mile up the tracks, he literally ripped the windshield out of the car in a desperate attempt to save her, I had to stop him and tried to calm him down because there was nothing we could do to bring her back, he was extremely upset!
The boyfriend then showed up in complete shock, I think he might have been talking to her when it happened, I tried to keep him calm while finding out any helpful information.
It turned out to be the 19 year old daughter of a neighbor, it's sad to know that our neighbors lost their loved one today.


Please teach everyone you know and love to look, and listen at any railroad crossing, and stop when told to do so by signs, gates or lights.
It's hard to stop several million tons of steel doing 60MPH!

 

[phaser]

How sad.

You indicated the boy friend may have been on the phone with her at the time of the accident? If so, that distraction may be the likely cause of the accident.

Every driver should pull over and stop if they want to talk or text.

 

[skeets]

Truly a sad story my friend, my heart goes out to her family, may she rest in peace. No parent should ever have to bury their child.
Knee mail sent

 

[TripleR]

That is so sad and sorry you had to experience though it was a blessing someone like you was there to handle the situation.

BNSF has a line through our farm and we cross it often several times a day; really have to work at paying attention.

 

[Wildfire]

Oh man. That's just too bad. So sorry to hear what you been through. You did everything you could do and I tip my lid to you for doing so. Our condolences go out to the family and all involved.

 

[Battered Sav]

A tragedy, condolences to her family and friends.

 

[m32825]

Really sorry to read this story. I hope I'm never in an accident like that, but if I am I hope there will be someone like you trying to help. Well done, hang in there.

-- Carl

 

[85Hokie]

Sorry brother,

As a high school teacher for almost 30 years.... I have lost young people that I have known, no easy way to deal with it.
I hope I pass before any of my children, not sure I could handle it ........

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Thanks for all the replies!
We've all been in situations that we've helped out someone or had someone help us out, I was just sad I couldn't do more for her!
Events like this always weigh very heavy on me!

 

[ipz2222]

Wolfman, I understand your grief in being there and not being able to help. I lost my mother to lung cancer this year and it was sooo difficult to watch her slowly waist away and not be able to do anything to stop it. It has affected me more than anything that I have ever been through.

 

[bandaidmd]

Sad to hear, I hope you find some comfort knowing you did what you could.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

 

[kubotaguy]

i know the feeling Wolfman. I am on our local volunteer fire dept and get called to lots of rescues. We cover 18 miles of the interstate highway. it is sad to come to a rescue scene where someone doesn't survive.
we also cover a large state park where we get calls for down horse riders. Until our dept got a polaris 6 wheeler which we bought from the kubota dealer, i took my own "green" UTV to the park to help with rescues. it's a large park and sometimes hard to find the victims and the utv sure beats walking.

 

[BX25DMan]

While trains provide us with a great way to transport anything and everything, the one thing they cannot do is stop quickly. We hear about these incidents all the time and the train always wins..

I rode the train into Boston for 12 years and saw 2 accidents and 2 suicides. What some fail to realize is the engineer is a real human being and especially in the suicides they witness the carnage personally yet there's nothing they can do except watch.

I'm sorry to hear this young lady met her fate so early in life and my heart goes out to her family and friends.....RIP