The BG News

Issue date: 7/25/07 Section: Local

Media Credit: Jordan Flower

Media Credit: Jordan Flower

Bowling Green, like many cities across the country with active railroads, has had several accidents involving pedestrians trespassing on the railroad's property. Taking recent fatalities into consideration, city police will increase their patrol of the tracks.

Two men were victims of train accidents within nine days of one another and less than a mile apart in Bowling Green. Timothy Gregory, 21, of Findlay, Ohio, was killed July 6 and Dr. Jason Sheehan, 32, of Toledo, Ohio, died July 15.

The train engineer, who works for CSX, the company who runs the trains that travel through Bowling Green, was the same in both cases.

CSX offered the train engineer, Matthew Brandon, 28, of Franklin, Ind., involved in the accident counseling and he was given paid time off.

According to Garrick Francis, spokesperson for CSX, pedestrian fatalities and accidents caused by trains happen more frequently than people think.

According to the Federal Railroad Administration, in 2006, trespasser fatalities nation wide went up 12.5 percent from the year before, bringing the total to 521 deaths. In Ohio, there were 24 deaths last year an increase of 71.4 percent from 2005.

The trains are required by the FRA to blow their horns through town and at every railroad crossing. The speed limit for trains passing through Bowling Green is 35 mph and 50 mph outside the city limits.

If a train is traveling at the speed of 55 mph it takes about a mile for the train to completely stop, according to Francis. If a person or object is obstructing the path of the train, the train has no way to stop in time to avoid a collision.

"We have worked with informing the public and the enforcement of the laws with city authorities in the past and it has been successful," Francis said. "It has been a long time since there was a train accident in Bowling Green and we hopefully will be working with authorities within the next few weeks."

The last pedestrian fatality from a train in Bowling Green was in November 1995. Jessica Mawson, 21, of Delaware, Ohio, was struck and killed because she was "scurrying to beat the train," according to the police report filed.

The last pedestrian injured by train in Bowling Green was in September 2006. Stefan Tiell, 19, of Fostoria, Ohio, was injured when he was walking along the railroad tracks. Ironically, Gregory was noted on police reports as a witness on the scene of this crime.

Tiell was struck on East Merry Street, which is the same area Gregory was killed.

The city police have responded to these accidents and will be watching the railroad vicinity more closely.

In a memo to the police division, Lt. Brad Biller said the course of action to be taken against people trespassing on railroad property is issuing a citation. Enforcing the law has the desired goal of raising awareness and educating the public on the dangers associated with trespassing the railroad tracks.

Ohio law states no person shall vandalize the railroad, trespass and interfere with the operation of the train. These types of crimes are first and fourth degree misdemeanors which may result in a citation, a fine or jail time.

Lt. Tony Hetrick, of the Bowling Green Police Department, said this type of incident is rare in the city but the recent accidents have caused the police to devote more attention to enforcing the trespasser law.

"Be aware we will be looking for trespassing and we will give citations," Hetrick said.

Not crossing at a crosswalk is considered a fourth degree misdemeanor. This affects many University students because of commuter parking lot four across the railroad tracks from campus, located off of Court Street. Many students choose to disregard the crosswalk and instead opt to cross wherever is closest.

Brian McIntyre, senior, was pulled over last fall for not crossing the railroad tracks at the crosswalk.

According to McIntyre, a sheriff gave him a warning and explained that it is law he has to use the crosswalk when crossing the tracks.

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