March 4 was not a good day for rail safety in central Illinois. Two people were killed in two separate crossing accidents here in central Illinois, and both of these were only 30 miles apart and both happened on the very same day. The first one occurred around 4:30pm northwest of Jacksonville, IL when a BNSF freight collided with a pickup truck.
http://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/train-25739-least-injured.html
March 04, 2010 5:16 PM
A 63-year-old rural Jacksonville man died Thursday when a train and truck collided at a crossing northwest of Jacksonville.
John Ronald “Ron” Hadden of Morgan County died at the scene of the accident. Rescue workers were called to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway tracks around Base Line Road near Standley Lane about 4:30 p.m.
The driver, who was the only occupant in the vehicle, was going east on Base Line Road. Police are still investigating the circumstances behind the accident.
Funeral arrangements are pending at Buchanan & Cody Funeral Home in Jacksonville.
The second crossing accident happened at or near 5:40pm in Auburn, IL on a UP crossing with Amtrak.
Posted Mar 04, 2010 @ 07:17 PM
AUBURN – Emergency personnel are on the scene of an apparently fatal train-pedestrian accident on Illinois 104 in Auburn.
Chelsea Brettin, 19 of Auburn said she w