Off the wire: Those magnetic rail-road tracks almost claim another victim
From Galesburg.com:
Maurice Fox’s motorized wheelchair became lodged when his wheels were trapped between the tracks while on his way to Aldi grocery store as a train approached.
“The problem was as soon as the three of us started working on it, we could hear a train horn,†said Galesburg Fire Department Capt. Dan Foley.
A frightened Fox said he didn’t know what to do when he became stuck.
“It was a bad situation, knowing that my daughter just got hit by a train not too long ago,†Fox said. “All those things went through my mind.â€
His daughter, Marci McClendon, was killed by a train Dec. 30, 2006, when she was struck by a train in East Galesburg.
All joking aside, this is a huge issue, I imagine, for those confined to a wheelchair. Isn’t it the railroad’s responsibility to make sure that people using wheelchairs can use crossings?
I’m sure rail enthusiasts will have something to day.
July 8th, 2008 at 11:01 am
I am one of those railroad enthusiasts and most definitely the crossings should be wheelchair convenient. Being in a wheelchair is difficult enough without getting caught in a railroad rut. The railroads have a certain responsibility, but also, so do the towns that have the crossings. Unless there is an agreement with the railroad the town is responsible to make the crossings safe. Either way, they should be safe for wheelchairs, walkers, strollers, canes, etc.
August 11th, 2008 at 5:30 am
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