DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — Witnesses described a car in flames at the railroad crossing near Driver and Pettigrew Streets in Durham back in March. First responders said it’s where 52-year-old Charles Hightower was hit and killed by an Amtrak train.
Investigators who looked over surveillance video that captured the incident shared how this happened.
First, they said Hightower made an illegal right turn on Pettigrew St. and went under the stop arm. Officers said Hightower continued north, but then made a U-turn before crossing the tracks.
While trying to exit back on Pettigrew St., officers said the driver then was blocked by another stop arm that lowered in the other lane. Police said Hightower attempted a second U-turn, but it was too late.
“It is a little bit longer of a stretch of a road,” said Paul Chirico. Chirico, who co-owns Ideal’s Sandwich & Grocery, said he’s worked in the area for the past three years. “I saw a car got stuck there one time, luckily they were able to get out of the way before the train came.”
Chirico said he’s noticed the amount of traffic increase in the railroad crossing during those three years.
“Since a lot of the businesses opened, ourselves, Proximity, and Mike D’s BBQ, and Congress down there, I guess traffic has been a little bit heavier,” he said.
Last year, Durham County was awarded a $1.2 million federal grant to study the location and other railroad crossings. Durham County Transportation Director Ellen Beckmann tells CBS 17 that they’re currently developing the federal grant agreements to commit the funding and approve the budget for the project. Beckmann said they plan to hire a consultant planning/ engineering firm and start the study later this year.
Margaret Cannell is the Executive Director with North Carolina Operation Lifesaver. The nonprofit safety and awareness organization is dedicated to reducing deaths and injuries in rail crossings and on tracks.
“It can take a mile or more for a train to stop at 55 mph,” said Cannell.
Cannell said the accident on Driver Street is the third deadly train incident within Durham County this year. Since January, there have been six deadly train collisions across the state. It includes vehicles struck in railroad crossings and pedestrians trespassing on tracks.
According to Operation Lifesaver, North Carolina is ranked 13th in the nation for number of incidents in highway-rail crossings and 13th for the number of injuries and fatalities that occur on railroad tracks. Last year, the organization reported 24 deadly train incidents in the state, but within the last 10 years there have been more than 200.
“It is devastating, not only by someone who has been struck or injured by a train, but to the crews themselves, because they’re sitting 25 feet in the air, because they know what their resources are and there’s not a lot they can do,” explained Cannell.
Durham police said the stop arms in the intersection at Driver and Pettigrew Streets are offset to allow drivers to pass through. However, Cannell said it typically takes about 17-20 seconds once the stop arms lower before the train meets the intersection.
What should you do?
Cannell said it’s not unusual for people to panic if they find themselves in the crossing when the lights are flashing. She said it’s important to not stop or turn around on the tracks.
“When that gate starts to go down, don’t try to beat the train,” she said. “If you don’t have the time to wait, it can have tragic results.”
