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Re: Revoke the right to enter BNSF property
Author: Michael Mahoney
Date: 10-02-2012 - 16:33
My take on it: The driver had probably been up since about 4 a.m. and was trying to get in one more load. The site was about halfway between Hanford and Corcoran; the train may have been going line speed of 79 mph, but at some point it was going to have to slow for the stop at Corcoran.
The driver unquestionably saw the train, but saw that it was short and moving fast. Drivers don't like to make unnecessary stops, especially if they are buying their own fuel. He saw that, if he stopped at the gate, by the time he got there the train would have passed and the gate would be going up. So why not cruise past the gate at 15 mph or so and save a stop? By the time the truck gets to the track the train will have passed.
Except that it hadn't. By the time the driver saw this, it was too late to stop.
Quite aside from paying for the thing, I'm thinking of a charge of reckless driving resulting in injury. A conviction on that charge will probably mean a revocation of his driving privilege, and he will have to find some other line of work.
The driver unquestionably saw the train, but saw that it was short and moving fast. Drivers don't like to make unnecessary stops, especially if they are buying their own fuel. He saw that, if he stopped at the gate, by the time he got there the train would have passed and the gate would be going up. So why not cruise past the gate at 15 mph or so and save a stop? By the time the truck gets to the track the train will have passed.
Except that it hadn't. By the time the driver saw this, it was too late to stop.
Quite aside from paying for the thing, I'm thinking of a charge of reckless driving resulting in injury. A conviction on that charge will probably mean a revocation of his driving privilege, and he will have to find some other line of work.
