No injuries after Amtrak train hits SUV at Dexter crossing
An Amtrak train hit an SUV Wednesday morning, leaving no reported injuries but disrupting travel for passengers headed to Chicago.
The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office received the call at 7:48 a.m. Oct. 21 near Central and Second streets in Dexter. The SUV driver was evaluated at the scene and released. An Amtrak representative said no passengers or crew members were injured.
Dexter Area Fire Department Chief Doug Armstrong said preliminary information indicated the engineer saw a vehicle going around activated crossing gates at Central Street. The crew applied emergency brakes, but the train hit the front of the vehicle, Armstrong said.
The locomotive was damaged, and Amtrak personnel inspected the train and tracks. Armstrong said the train stopped just west of the Broad Street crossing near Dexter City Hall.
A passenger said travelers waited about three hours before charter buses arrived to continue their trips. The sheriff's office was investigating the collision.
What does Michigan law require at railroad crossings?
Drivers must stop 15 to 50 feet from the nearest rail when a clearly visible signal warns that a train is approaching or a crossing gate is lowered. Michigan's railroad-crossing law, MCL 257.667, also prohibits driving through, around or under a gate while it's closed, opening or closing. Drivers must wait until they can proceed safely. A violation is a civil infraction.
Crossing video, signal records and train operating data can help establish when warnings activated, how a vehicle entered the tracks and when braking began. Photos and witness information can preserve details needed to assess responsibility. Michigan Legal Center's explanation of what to do after a Michigan car accident describes how to document a collision and keep useful records.
Get help from Michigan Legal Center
Michigan Legal Center: the Law Offices of Christopher J. Trainor & Associates handles motor-vehicle accident and serious injury claims.
If you have questions after a vehicle collision at a railroad crossing, Contact Michigan Legal Center to ask whether the matter falls within Michigan Legal Center's practice areas.
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