NICTD South Shore Hits Honda Pilot Monday

[justin_gram]

Monday, February 2nd, 2015:

Facebook Post With Pictures: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php? ... 2136103671

Press Release:

Monday evening, February 2, 2015 at 6:25 PM Ogden Dunes Police Department investigated a Car v Train Crash at the exit to the Portage/Ogden Dunes NICTD Commuter Train Station. The driver of a 2006 Honda Pilot became stuck on the RR Tracks after stopping on top of the NICTD Tracks while in a line of traffic. Due to snow build up around the crossing, that created a rut on top of the tracks, the Honda Pilot became stuck on top of the rails and was unable to move forward or back.

As the driver of the Honda Pilot, Wanda Rodgers of Portage attempted to free her vehicle, an East Bound NICTD Commuter train, #15 activated the crossing lights. The driver of the Pilot left her vehicle, the NICTD Train collided with the Honda Pilot. The driver of the Pilot was uninjured due to the crash, she was transported by Portage Fire EMS due to a fall that occurred after she exited her vehicle as the train approached. There were no reported injuries on board the train.

Ogden Dunes Police reminds the Public that not only is it illegal to stop on Railroad Tracks, as evidenced by this incident it can have severe consequences. Fortunately no one died or were severely injured due to this crash.

ODPD was assisted at the scene by: NICTD Transit Police, Burns Harbor, Porter and Portage Police Departments, Ogden Dunes VFD, and Portage Fire Department EMS and Joe's Towing.

[justalurker66]

It is a poorly designed crossing:


Perhaps with all those local police on scene someone might notice why a car would stop on the railroad crossing. There is a STOP SIGN on the far side of the tracks. The stop sign is close to the tracks, not close to the highway. People are trained to stop AT stop signs. If people stop at this stop sign they are on the tracks.

I took the picture above Saturday evening around 6pm right before two trains passed at Ogden Dunes. The eastbound came first this evening ... and the gates came down before the train made its station stop and stayed down until after the eastbound left. Soon after a stream of cars carrying passengers returning from Chicago crossed the tracks. Some ran the stop sign and stopped at the edge of US 12 ... others did a rolling stop on the tracks. One car stopped on the tracks behind a car waiting for traffic on US 12. One car used the left hand side of the road as if it was a left turn lane (this is still a two way road at the crossing - with gates set up accordingly).

Fortunately the exiting traffic cleared before the westbound train arrived ... and that is probably why there are not more accidents at this crossing. Rarely is there train traffic at the same time as road traffic. But a stop sign immediately after the tracks is going to cause confusion and accidents.

I would like to see a full traffic light that would stop US 12 for the exiting flow from the train station ... which probably will not happen due to the closeness of the traffic light at Ogden Dunes. The least they could do is to REMOVE THAT STOP SIGN. Which would encourage people to stop at the light at the intersection instead of at the stop sign on the tracks.