CAR vs. TRAIN… AGAIN
The 6th collision in a year and a half occurred between a train and a car in Toombs County on Tuesday, August 22, as a Nissan Rogue collided with a train at the intersection of the Georgia Central Railroad tracks and Rudell Road.
According to the Georgia State Patrol which investigated the mishap, a 2021 Nissan Rogue driven by Lisa Davis was stopped atop the railroad tracks as she waited for a car in front of her to pull onto U.S. Highway 280. The rear section of the Nissan was positioned on the tracks as the train composed of 51 cars and 4 engines began to approach the intersection. Train engineer Denny Sapp said that after he saw the vehicle on the continued from page
tracks he began engaging the train’s emergency protocols to stop and avoid a collision, but was unable to prevent the crash. The train struck the SUV’s right rear quarter panel, causing the vehicle to rotate clockwise and come to a final uncontrolled rest around 33 feet east of the area of impact. The train also traveled approximately 353 feet east on the tracks before coming to a controlled stop.
Davis told officials that the accident happened so fast that she really did not remember exactly what happened. She said that she was not trying to beat the train, but there was a car in front of her at the stop sign and her vehicle’s rear end was over the tracks, causing her to be in the path of the train. Sapp told investigators that he utilized the train’s bell and horn to warn the driver of the vehicle of the train’s approach.
The State Patrol determined that Davis contributed to the accident by failing to yield, which led them to cite her for failing to yield at an intersection.
Neither party was hurt or required medical attention.
This accident marks the second consecutive crash between a train and car at the intersection of Rudell Road and the railroad tracks. Other crashes of this nature have included a collision at the intersection of Rigsbee Drive and Old Vidalia-Lyons Road, and two incidents along Oxley Drive in Lyons.
