Western Railroad Discussion > Three killed in MN when pickup hits BNSF train

Just found this on one of the local news stations in Minnesota. Some people just never learn...

Three people are dead after their pickup truck collided with a train this afternoon in the town of Randall.

The driver of the pickup was injured and flown by helicopter to St. Cloud Hospital. The three others were pronounced dead at the scene.

State Patrol spokesman Kevin Smith says the names of the victims are not being immediately released.

The accident happened shortly before three this afternoon at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe train crossing on Highway 115 in north-central Minnesota.

The pickup was behind another vehicle waiting at the intersection, where the crossing arms were down.

The driver apparently decided to pull around the vehicle in front and cross the intersection when the train hit.

the driver lived. Three of his unfortunate passengers did not. What a dumb MF, eh?

Man, is Randall MN ever remote. Try the St. Cloud _Times_ for news articles.

http://miva.sctimes.com/miva/cgi-bin/miva?Sctimes/index.mv

http://miva.sctimes.com/miva/cgi-bin/miva?News/Local/read.mv+20020704010348+23+17

>>
4 July, 2002
Collision kills 3 from Pierz
Dave Aeikens
<daeikens at stcloudtimes.com>
Times Staff Writer


RANDALL -- Three people died and another was injured Wednesday after a pickup tried to go around a railroad crossing arm and was struck by a train.
Craig Michael Gall, 34; Roy John Gall, 17; and Michael Francis Ross, 54, all of Pierz, were dead at the scene. The driver, Gordon Walter Gall, 41, suffered fractured ribs, punctured lungs and was in stable condition Wednesday at St. Cloud Hospital.

The incident happened at 2:50 p.m. on Minnesota Highway 115, just east of U.S. Highway 10 as the busy holiday travel weekend began, the State Patrol said.

The truck was second in line at the train stop waiting while the crossing arms were down in front of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks.

The truck's driver apparently decided to try to beat the train and pulled around the vehicle in front of it, said Kevin Smith, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

"The second vehicle apparently didn't want to wait," Smith said.

Minnesota Highway 115 closed for more than three hours while emergency crews worked at the scene. The State Patrol is investigating.


Here are tips from the Minnesota Department of Transportation for navigating train tracks.

-- Expect a train on any track at any time.

-- Don't get trapped on a grade crossing.

-- Never race a train.

-- Never drive around closed or closing gates.

-- Don't underestimate a train's speed or distance.

-- Don't trespass on tracks.

-- Watch for a second train.
<<

All in all, the article educates, as well as informs.

It's too bad this had to happen in such a remote area if it had to happen at all. It's one stupid thing to run gates when someone is alone, but with three others in the truck, MAAAAAAN! I would hope he would be charged with vehicular manslaughter at the least, and just a guess here, get convicted. TV and newspaper publicity of a case like this, ending in serious jail time, in a larger population market would do a lot more for the cause than front page of the weekly newspaper in B.F. Minnnesota (which actually reminds me of the town I live in)