2 men spend night in jail after taking ballast from train tracks
(The following story by Patricio G. Balona appeared on the News-Journal website on July 24.)
DELAND, Fla. Two DeLand men, shovels in hand as they pilfered rocks from a railroad bed, resembled deer in headlights, according to the sheriff's deputy who surprised them.
Thomas Strickland, 34, had plans for those rocks; he was going to build a flowerbed for his girlfriend. But instead of shelling out less than $5 for the stones at a local store, Strickland about 11 p.m. Tuesday enlisted his buddy James Whitmore, 30, and they grabbed a couple shovels, deputies said.
After scooping 50 pounds of rock into his old Mercury -- too outdated to be seized in the heist -- deputy Morris Froscher rolled up and the flowerbed plan wilted.
The two were charged with interfering with a railroad track, a sheriff's report states. Both men spent a night in jail and a judge released them Wednesday after sentencing them to time served.
The odd plan could have had serious consequences.
Removing the stones decreases the soundness of the track, said Gary Sease, spokesman for the CSX Corp. in Jacksonville, which operates the track.
"The purpose of the stones is to provide additional stability for the track structure," Sease said. "It promotes drainage and it is a way to secure the track so as the train goes over it, it doesn't move too much."
Whitmore and Strickland were discovered while deputy Froscher was checking out a call about a large, loose unfriendly dog in the area of Old New York Avenue and Beresford Road. Froscher was driving with his windows down to listen for animals when he heard metal clanging near the tracks, the report states.
Froscher called for backup after seeing a suspicious vehicle by the train tracks and surprised Whitmore, Strickland and another person, Justin Riedy, 15. Riedy was turned over to his mother after deputies determined he was not involved in the stone heist, the report states.
"All three of the individuals were standing by the trunk and appeared to have a deer in the headlight appearance," the incident report states.
The rocks were replaced and a CSX engineer was sent to check the safety of the tracks to prevent the potential for derailment.
Strickland's 20-year-old Mercury car was too old and "not of value for forfeiture" so it was turned over to Riedy's mother, the report states.
A DeLand Lowe's employee said the amount of rock the men had would sell, in bags, for a little more than $3.50.
Sease said taking rocks from the tracks is not common and it was the first case he had heard of.
"We have had reports of people taking metal objects or copper from the track because they resell them," Sease said. "But I have never heard of thieves stealing stone ballasts."
Do you know how many miles of roadbed I travel across that is missing said stones....?
And why would anyone want to use mainline ballast for a flower bed? Use yard ballast.....Better yet, use mulch....It keeps the weeds out and retains moisture....
Why in the hell does the font look weird?
(pre-PWI)
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the speed on the track is 10 mph and its restricted speed, so at 10 on that blind corner they had a banner set up....
Do you know how many miles of roadbed I travel across that is missing said stones....?
And why would anyone want to use mainline ballast for a flower bed? Use yard ballast.....Better yet, use mulch....It keeps the weeds out and retains moisture....
