If this is was actually a parade in procession, the railroad should have been notified of the scheduled blockage; with agreement received from the railroad to slow the trains to prepare them to stop, before the parade permit was even issued. And if the police actually did direct the driver to violate the law and enter the crossing without room to clear it, that leaves me beyond breathless!

As to the driver's culpability, there are many laws that should never be broken, even if it was the President of the United States that ordered it! But in any event - to hell with any dumb flatfoot who would dare to order such an unlawful thing, without a railroad flagmen or dick being present and OKing it first. What the hell was he thinking! And what was the driver thinking as he obeyed an unlawful order, putting his passengers in clear and present danger.

Ooooh Yeah! - This is post-modern America; thinking was probably considered optional.

But honestly, I've seen this kind of crap numerous times before while working out on the line somewhere. Some deputies are so damn dumb they don't even realize; that they actually know nothing about being safe around railroads. More than once, my deputy sheriff son has had to educate his fellow cops about it, even while they were in the heat of a chase. It is truly scary what they did not realize on their own.

As is generally so about laws regarding railroad photography, most policeman are still in dire need of an education about various aspects of safety near the tracks.