The crossing gates were lowered at a Gary railroad track when a vehicle drove around it and was hit by a commuter train and killed five people, representatives from the South Shore Line confirmed.
Five occupants in a vehicle that was “severely damaged,” Gary police said, died on the scene after crashing into a South Shore Line train, number 133, at U.S. 20 and Utah Street. The train was traveling east, around 10 p.m. June 25 when a southbound vehicle bypassed the lowered crossing gates and entered the path of the oncoming train, South Shore Line officials said.
Police had not yet released the names of the five victims as they notified next-of-kin, Gary police said in a June 26 press release. No occupants on the train were injured, police said.
Vehicle crashes with trains on the South Shore Line are “not that frequent of an occurrence,” Mike Noland, president of South Shore Line said, citing two to three a year, including one no injury crash in Michigan City last week. Still, Noland said, one crash is one too many.
The area of the crash is near U.S. 12 and 20, a well-lit highway, Noland said. The railroad track had a gate, bells and lights — that would have been flashing — he said. Noland said these signals were operational based on a report on South Shore software, an eyewitness report to police, and South Shore Line train crew who observed the gates operating and the car going around the gates right before the crash.
Do not cross tracks when gates are down, signals are flashing
South Shore Line officials offered their thoughts and prayers to those affected by the incident, but also reminded people not to cross railroad tracks when the signal is activated.
“Any time the crossing gate, lights, bells, flashers are operational, do not cross the tracks. It’s that simple,” Noland said. “Adhere to those warnings. They’re there to protect people. They’re there to save lives. It’s not worth being in a hurry for a couple of seconds to wait for a train to clear and putting yourself and others at risk.”
Noland urged people to “stop, look and listen,” and to expect a train on a track from any direction at any time.
Email Tribune staff writer Camille Sarabia at csarabia@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Shore Line urges drivers not to bypass lowered gates, which they say led to crash
Reporting by Camille Sarabia, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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