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Two people were killed trying to beat a train at a railroad crossing over the weekend. 

The statistics are staggering.

According to Defensive Driving.com, in the United States alone, a person is killed by a train, every two hours, and these deaths are considered almost entirely avoidable.

We live in the Crossroads, named in part for our abundant trains and train crossings in South Texas. With this story in mind, we are reminded that Victoria, one of the oldest towns in Texas, was also one the earliest to see rail service in our state. You can read more about our railroad history at Texas Railroad History by clickinghttp://txrrhistory.com/towers/090/090.htm.

Getting hit by a train has been compared to you driving over a soda can.

That's the force of destruction a train just traveling at 50 miles an hour could cause if it were to hit you, according to Metra on Twitter.

Unfortunately for a driver and their passenger in Houston, the race turned deadly.

Harris County officials are still trying to piece together the investigation as the car, listed as possibly being a Chrysler 300, went around another vehicle stopped at a crossing, and attempted to drive around the railroad crossing arms before being struck by the train and immediately catching fire upon impact.

The car was instantly immersed in flames from the moment the Amtrack train headed to Los Angeles made contact. Both the driver and the passenger were thrown from the vehicle and were found lifeless when help arrived. The Amtrack train was not derailed, nor were the 80 plus passengers on the train harmed.

With this story in mind, we are reminded that Victoria, one of the oldest towns in Texas, was also one the earliest to see rail service in our state.

Be careful Crossroads, trying to beat a train has been proven time and again to be a deadly gamble.

Here is a Youtube video provided by Defensive Driving to help educate our community.

Ten Things to Be Thankful for in the Crossroads

 

 

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