Victims in train accident may have thought gates malfunctioned
(The following story by Gene Warner appeared on the Buffalo News website on October 12, 2009.)
BUFFALO, N.Y. A mistaken assumption -- that the crossing gates and warning lights were malfunctioning at a Chautauqua County railroad crossing -- may have led to the tragic accident that claimed three lives Saturday, state police investigators suggested today.
Three Dunkirk residents were killed Saturday afternoon when their rental truck was struck by a westbound CSX train in the Town of Pomfret.
Investigators believe the driver of the rental truck tried to drive around the crossing gates, which remained in the down position shortly after an earlier slow-moving train had just cleared the tracks from the opposite direction.
State police also say that at least one other vehicle in front of the rental truck went around the crossing gates. So investigators believe the drivers of both vehicles may have assumed the crossing gates and flashing lights were malfunctioning after the first train had gone through the crossing.
"The one train cleared, and they probably figured that the gates just didn't go up," State Police Capt. Richard S. Allen said today. "So we assume they drove around the gates thinking the tracks were clear."
All three Dunkirk residents in the rental truck were pronounced dead at the scene. They were identified as Sean P. O'Rourke, 24; William T. Marquardt, 24; and Zachary P. Nydahl, 26.
State police say they have found no evidence of any drinking or drug use.
O'Rourke was driving the rental truck north on Van Buren Road in the Town of Pomfret shortly after 2:30 p.m. Saturday, state police said.
After the first eastbound train cleared the tracks, the gates remained down and the lights flashing. The driver of the rental truck, apparently like the driver in front of him, tried to cross the tracks, but his vehicle was struck by the second westbound train that was traveling at about 59 mph.
Calling it a terrible tragedy, Allen, zone commander of the state police in Chautauqua County, cited the lessons that can be learned from the horrific accident.
"The gates are down for a reason," Allen said. "There are occasions when they do malfunction, but we get [an officer] to direct traffic around the gates. Unless someone is telling you to go around them, you should never go around activated warning lights."
Allen also used the concept of a crossing-gates malfunction as a safety tip. Even when the gates aren't down, he suggested, drivers should look in both directions before crossing the tracks.
Following the accident, the weight and speed of the train kept it and the truck traveling about a half mile west of the impact site.
"To safely stop a train, it usually takes up to two miles," Allen said. "In this case, it took about half a mile."
