'Officer on the Train' exercise educates motorists on railroad crossing safety

A car finishes safely crossing the railroad tracks on North Miami Avenue as a train approaches during the "Officer on the Train" exercise in Marshall Wednesday, June 24. (Geoff Rands/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

This exercise was organized in conjunction with Kansas City Southern Railroad.

A short train took trips back and forth across town while officers waited near railroad crossings on North Miami Avenue, North Lyon Avenue, North Benton Avenue, North English Avenue and North Jefferson Avenue, watching to ensure that motorists obeyed the laws relating to crossing railroad tracks. Officers were also instructed to write tickets if, after stopping a vehicle for failure to safely cross the tracks, they saw that an occupant was not wearing a seatbelt.

"We're looking for people who definitely don't stop, and we're looking for people who stop" and then proceed across the tracks when it's still unsafe, said Det. Bill McMellen. He added the ideal situation for crossing is one where "if their car stalls on the tracks, they have time to get out."

Two detectives spent the exercise on the train, communicating with MPD personnel via radio to give descriptions of vehicles they said needed to be ticketed.

"Our primary goal isn't to get out there and write tickets, it's to educate the public," said Assistant Police Chief David Roscher.

"It's a good program," said McMellen. "... We need to enlighten the public. They don't know that you have to come to a stop and then determine if it's safe to go."

McMellen said the law requires vehicles to stop between 15 and 50 feet of railroad tracks when the crossing's lights and sirens are on. At that time, the driver of the vehicle may continue across the tracks if it is safe to proceed. This is the case when a train is approaching and when it is moving away from the crossing.

There were no warnings issued during the exercise. "Everybody gets a ticket," said McMellen.

"It wouldn't hurt my feelings if we didn't write any tickets," said McMellen before the exercise began, "... because then we'll know people are doing what they're supposed to be."

He added, "I just don't see that happening, not after what I've already seen" when officers were meeting near the railroad crossing at North Lyon Avenue, when four vehicles crossed the tracks without coming to a complete stop while the crossing's alarms and lights were on.

The main reason for unsafe crossing of railroad tracks, McMellen said, is that "people get focused on driving, or they're late, and that's all they think about, and it could cost them their life. Nothing's worth that."

One man stopped by McMellen for unsafe crossing told the detective that he knew he could make it across the tracks without harm.

"If his car would have stalled, he would have been killed," McMellen said.

The four units of MPD personnel wrote a total of eight tickets during the exercise, which was fewer than were written during the exercise in 2008.

The exercise was scheduled to last until 1 p.m., but it was stopped 30 minutes early because the lights and siren at the North Miami Avenue crossing would sometimes not turn on as the train headed east, and technicians had been called to make repairs.

This exercise came slightly more than one month after an accident at the North Miami Avenue crossing when a Marshall woman was injured in a collision with an eastbound train, after which the woman stated she neither heard the crossing's sirens nor saw the crossing's lights.

Contact Geoff Rands at marshallreporter@socket.net