Driver Killed in El Reno Train Accident
A man was killed in an Oklahoma car accident involving a collision between a vehicle and a train. According to a news report in The Associated Press, the fatal train accident occurred at the intersection of Elm Street and Radio Road in El Reno. Officials say the victim was the sole occupant of the car at the time of the collision. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.
According to the Annual Railroad Safety Statistics report by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), there were 11,142 train accidents and incidents in the United States in the year 2009. In those accidents, 695 people were killed and 7,925 were injured. In Oklahoma, 11 fatalities and 64 injuries resulted from train accidents during that same year. Between the years 2005 and 2009, 68 people were killed and 467 were injured in Oklahoma train accidents.
Investigators of train versus car collisions must usually answer a number of questions. Did the railroad crossing have properly working traffic control or warning devices? Did the motorist drive past a blinking light or through a railroad crossing gate? Was the train operator attentive at the time of the collision? Did he or she use the train whistle while approaching the crossing? Was there a mechanical malfunction in the vehicle as it was crossing the tracks? Was the car pushed into the oncoming train by another vehicle?
The experienced Oklahoma personal injury attorneys at the Maples Law Firm have successfully handled cases involving train versus car collisions. If you have lost a loved one or have been injured in an Oklahoma train accident, please contact us at (405) 705-5050 for a free consultation and comprehensive case evaluation.