Union Pacific wants city, parade organizers held responsible for deadly Texas crossing accident

As a veteran of 20 years of military service myself, it’s simple logic based on the facts of this case, that anyone involved with the organization and operation of this parade should be charged with dereliction of duty. UP is 100% innocent of any culpability for anything in conjuction with this accident.

Quote “The veterans were killed when a parade truck drove into a crossing and was struck by a UP train on Nov. 15, 2012. The crossing was protecting by light and crossing gates, which activated as the truck was stopped on the tracks”
Words of wisdom from my dad… 1)Don’t piss into the wind. 2) Don’t eat yellow snow. 3) Don’t dog fight grey Phantoms. 3) NEVER EVER EVER STOP ON R.R. TRACKS!

Having a truck driver transport people might have contributed to this accident. All bus drivers have to stop at crossings, even when there are no warnings, just to make sure it’s safe, and would definately not cross if there was not enough room for the whole vehicle on the other side. Doesn’t sound like this was the case here.

Jerry Conaway is right. NS had their AGS South mainline through Tuscaloosa, AL next to the UA campus and UA Athletic Facilities. Every home football game, I hear the NS Dispatch slowing down trains (normal track speed is around 45-60) and warning them to watch for pedestrians (go through ringing and dinging) as upwards of 150,000 (102,000+ stadium fans and other attendies; sometimes 200,000 for certain games) are in town for every home Football game. I’m sure the same goes for other college towns.
UP is 100% in the clear and was very poor judgement on the truck driver and parade organizers. UP should have been contacted prior to the event being held.

HOORAH FOR UNION PACIFIC. ITS ABOUT TIME RAILROADS OR ANYONE TO STAND UP TO OUR SYSTEM THAT LETS THINGS GO WRONG, THEN BLAME SOMEONE ELSE. CASE IN POINT=MIDLAND

Another example of “it’s not my fault” mentality. Truck goes onto tracks despite lights and gates: blame UP. Child fails a tough class: blame teacher. Spill hot coffee: blame McDonald’s. No one wants to own up to accept fault in America.

This “Grand” jury demonstrates what is wrong with our legal system. Decisions are made by people not smart enough to get out of jury duty.

Read the NTSB preliminary statement, crossing warning devices activated in advance and functioned as intended properly, providing warning as required by law. Also there was an alternative route that could have avoided the crossing completely. Was UPRR even informed of the parade ? Why did the police in the parade, alledgely familiar with the area, not take action in advance, to insure “Safety” at the crossing was strictly enforced ? Sitting in car, with dask-cam catching the unfortunate incident is very sad indeed. Railroad is not the vilian, the real tradgedy, is of course those fatalities and injuries that occurred and the family members that witnessed the incident and are left behind. But what about the crew, of the UP train, sitting on train, knowing there was nothing they were doing wrong, and worst yet, knowing there was nothing they could do to prevent the collision.

All too often, I see motorists under this false perception that if traffic starts moving ahead of you, regardless of how slow it moves, and you’re about to cross railroad tracks, you will clear. NOPE!STOP and think again before you cross. What if traffic stops AGAIN before you know you can actually finish crossing the tracks? That’s just like entering an intersection in heavy traffic while a traffic signal is green only to have traffic stop again when you are only half way across. You will contend you entered the intersection on a green light. However, if you cannot completely cross that intersection while that light is green, you are NOT supposed to enter the intersection! Stopping in the middle of a n intersection is Illegal! Why the truck driver was never given a ticket for thisI can’t understand. BUT IF the police officer waved him across, then the police officer who did so also should share in the responsibility for placing the lives of those veterans at risk and endangering. After all, aren’t we supposed to follow a police officers instructions when they are directing traffic?

It’s all about money, people. UP has it, the city and the parade organizers do not. It’s not about actual responsibility.

Aren’t grand juries selected from people like us? And isn’t the
judge supposed to inform them of the law that pertains to the
case in question? Seems to me they didn’t even use common
sense, let alone follow the law in this case! I know they say
follow the money, but what’s in it for the jurors? Are they going to get a cut of the money if UP is found totally at fault? This is just another evidence of what’s wrong with our country these days! No one follows the law or the judge will write new law from the bench; right or wrong is in the eye of
the beholder, which is dangerous to the moral well being
of all of us. Sounds like some people feeling sorry for the
“poor” truck driver. Like’s already been mentioned, what
about the feelings of the train crew?

Could a public show of support for UP and maybe other
railroads in the future maybe mend some fences as far
as railroad buff/rail relationships go?

Mr.Chahak mentions blood-sucking lawyers. Probably true-- but the plaintiffs who hire them are worse. They whine about what happened even when their fault is so obvious that a child could see it. Like the case here. Plaintiffs then look for the deepest pocket-- the RR. The parade organizers and driver should be held accountable.

The parade organizers should have routed the floats on Texas 349, which safely runs under the mainline.

There is word that a city policeman might have waved the floats through to the crossing. But no one will comment.