Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

Truck-train accident victim ponders ‘what ifs’ of crash



A matter of inches, a matter of seconds, or a matter of
different circumstances and the results could have been very different.

That is what Charlotte Bruns has been mulling over since
her encounter with a train on July 13.

Bruns, one arm in a sling, both legs bandaged, 15 stitches
in her head, two black eyes and an assortment of bumps and bruises, has
been pondering the “what ifs” of the near-tragic collision.

The accident occurred on the morning of July 13 on County
Road 15 (Falcon Avenue) near her rural Lester Prairie home. She was on her
way to Glencoe to pick up her son, Nicholas, 8.

She was traveling the posted 40 mph speed limit when out
of the trees came a Dakota Rail locomotive.

“I’ve been here three years, and I’ve never seen a
train (on those tracks),” Bruns said.

She said by the time she spotted the slow-moving train,
it was too late. She veered to the left, but struck the locomotive’s plow,
and the train dragged the vehicle a short distance down the tracks.

If she had been further into the crossing, or had she not
been wearing her seatbelt, she might not have survived the collision in
her 1989 Chevrolet Blazer, which was totaled. As it was, she was thrown
into the windshield by the impact.

She may not have survived the collision in a smaller vehicle
either.

Bruns said had she brushed her teeth a few seconds more,
she might not have been at the crossing at all. Or what if her son had been
with her?

The list of “what ifs” goes on and on.

What Bruns said she definitely knows is that there was
a guardian angel looking out for her that morning.

What she also knows is that something has to be done with
that “blind crossing” that is a disaster waiting to happen.

Bruns said some people have not taken her accident seriously
and blamed her for not being more careful, “but it could happen to
anyone. It was just bad timing on my part. I saw my life flash in front
of my eyes.”

What Bruns wants is for people to be aware of these “blind”
crossings, not only on County Road 15 but at other intersections with the
Dakota Line out of Hutchinson. Those restricted sight intersections are
located on County Road 4, County Road 2 and on Highway 261 as well.

She said she wants stop signs at those “blind crossings”
that partially obscure sight of a train that emerges from the trees and
into the intersection.

If not stop signs, then some red signal lights should be
installed, Bruns said.

But most of all, “I’d like the trees removed.”

That may be easier said than done, however.

A neighbor, Randy Vasko, said the trees on the north side
of the tracks are on the railroad property. He agreed there is a need for
some clean up of the vegetation in that area.

But Vasko and his family, who have lived near the tracks
for the past 16 years, said he has seen at least 10 crashes with trains
in that time, “and they happen all year round.” The vegetation
may not be the only problem.

Vasko said there is about one train a day that passes through
the area.

He said the train generally slows down at the crossing,
and if the intersection is clear, then proceeds through.

But since the crash, Vasko said the railroad engineer has
been very careful. “I think now you can hear the (train) whistle from
Lester Prairie.”

Vasko said the volume of highway traffic has grown considerably
on County Road 15 since he moved there.

MnDOT said its figures indicate 540 cars a day cross that
intersection, but Vasko said it is more than that.

He said drivers’ habits vary. Some almost stop at the intersection,
while others never slow down.

County highway engineer Rick Kjonaas said the crossings
often involve the state and the railroad as well as the county. At other
times, there are private property owners involved as well.

He said if the sight restrictions are too great, stop signs
are installed, as is the case on County Road 4.

But Kjonaas said some experts think stop signs cause more
harm than good because people often ignore them on low-volume tracks like
the Dakota Rail’s line.

Kjonaas said periodic recommendations are sent to the Minnesota
Department of Transportation on crossing safety issues, especially after
accidents.

He said a lot of MnDOT’s decisions are based on the number
of accidents, sight distance issues, the number of trains and volume of
vehicle traffic among other things.

He said MnDOT has stringent guidelines it follows during
a review process.

As to the trees that line the tracks, Kjonaas said the
railroad normally has a 50-foot right-of-way on either side of the tracks.

Both the county and railroad have right-of-ways, but when
the tracks reach the intersection with the county’s road right-of-way, the
railroad’s authority supercedes the county’s, Kjonaas said.

The crossing signs at the intersections are the property
of the railroad, he said. The other highway signs, like the “Watch
for trains” signs prior to the intersection, belong to the county.

Kjonaas stressed the need for vehicle drivers to use care
at all times when approaching railroad crossings.

Tim Spencer, a spokesman for MnDOT’s division of freight,
railroads and waterways, agreed that caution is required from drivers.

But he admits that is not easy to do.

“It’s frustrating,” Spencer said of train-vehicle
accidents. He said about 70 percent of such accidents occur at crossings
with signals where the driver gets impatient or is inattentive.

“We don’t call them accidents,” Spencer said.
“We call them crashes or collisions because most are preventable.”

He said educating drivers about the dangers of railroad
crossings may be the best approach at prevention.

If visibility is a problem, and it cannot be resolved,
a stop sign may be recommended for crossings like that on County Road 15.
But Spencer said only the state transportation commissioner can approve
a stop sign, it cannot be done by the county on its own.

He said the state has little legal authority to force a
railroad or private landowner to clear trees from their property, but it
can notify the railroad or landowner of the hazard and request they address
the issue.

Spencer said there are several solutions to these problem
crossings.

One is to install flashing lights, but they cost between
$100,000 and $150,000 apiece, and Spencer said they are usually placed in
areas with high volume train traffic. He said that does not apply to Dakota
Rail.

Second is to install stop signs. Spencer said the stop
signs are designed for areas with high rail traffic and low vehicle traffic.

He agreed with Kjonaas and said stop signs often cause
more accidents than they prevent because some drivers stop, while others
do not and that results in fenderbenders.

He also said if drivers become accustomed to not seeing
trains and ignore the stop signs, they may go to an area with higher train
traffic where ignoring the stop signs could prove tragic.

A third option is to close a crossing. “That’s a high
priority with MnDOT,” Spencer said. “We need to get that option
on the table.”

See also: last week’s story
on crash

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