Upper Marlboro, MD -- (ReleaseWire) -- 10/02/2019 --Indeed, according to a report from NBC News, a car and train recently collided at a dangerous rail crossing. Reporting just after the collision indicated that the victim sustained life-threatening injuries. Although the car accident victim is expected to recover, the crash highlights the risks of this particular crossing. Several years ago, another train struck a vehicle at the crossing, resulting in a derailment and explosion. In that collision, five people suffered serious injuries.
The recent crash left the automobile driver with life-threatening injuries.
After the collision, the victim underwent at least two surgeries. Remarkably, healthcare providers expect he will survive the crash. Witnesses at the scene reported that responders pulled the driver from an "annihilated" vehicle and placed him on a stretcher. The crash was so severe that it ripped off the car's wheels. The collision occurred at approximately 7:00 a.m. on a weekday when the motorist was on his way to work. However, the train pushed the car about one mile from where the initial crash occurred. Emergency responders pulled the driver from the vehicle at around 7:30 a.m.
Given that other accidents occurred previously in this location, Baltimore County officials want to make the crossing safer.
To begin with, officials want to install a warning light at this particular train crossing. Since it is a private crossing, no gate lights or warning signals exist. Although the state of Maryland receives approximately $3.5 million annually for rail safety, it cannot use that money here. Federal money can be used only to improve safety at public rail crossings. To use that money for this crossing, Baltimore County must acquire the road and change its crossing classification to public.
According to Maryland car accident attorney Rick Jaklitsch, "collisions involving cars and trains often result in life-threatening internal injuries." As Jaklitsch emphasized, "anyone who has been involved in a serious crash should seek medical attention immediately." Indeed, "delayed medical treatment is often construed by insurance adjusters as signaling that the injured party wasn't that severely injured, and a plaintiff often receives a substantially lower offer." Stanford University explains that even minor abdominal pain can be a sign of severe internal injuries requiring medical attention.
While Baltimore County considers ways to improve private rail safety crossings, drivers should be careful. If a train is approaching, a motorist should wait safely for it to pass to avoid a serious collision.
