DWI Hit Parade!

Union Pacific invests in upgrades to crossings, tracks, safety measures

From Midland Reporter-Telegram
A Midland man was transported to Midland Memorial Hospital with minor injuries Saturday evening after a freight train struck his vehicle, according to the city’s public information officer.
Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and the Midland police and fire departments responded to the crash at about 5:38 p.m. near the intersection of North Carver Street and East Industrial Avenue.
A witness told police that a man, later identified as Benjamin Oakes, 60, was driving a pickup north on Carver Street and drove through the crossing arms and came to a stop on the railroad tracks, said PIO Sara Higgins. ….MORE

Union Pacific ad campaign attempts to convince motorists not to play chicken with trains or park on railroad tracks

This driver has now been nominated for our FREE COFFIN AWARD for 2012!

From NorthJersey.com
MONTVALE — A New York woman was charged with driving under the influence after she drove onto the tracks at the Montvale train station and was struck by a NJ Transit train.
The engineer applied the emergency brakes but was unable to avoid striking the driver’s side of the Chrysler PT Cruiser driven by Danielle R. King, 41, of Yonkers, N.Y., police said in a press release.
King, who was also charged with careless driving, was uninjured. She was taken to Bergen Regional Medical Center for observation.  ….MORE

From Daily Herald
A man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence Thursday over allegations he shut down San Francisco’s subway system for more than two hours after driving his SUV onto the underground tracks, police said.
Scott Mitchell, 40, of Sebastapol, Calif., also has been charged with driving on train tracks and failure to obey a traffic sign, said Officer Albie Esparza, a police spokesman.
No injuries were reported as Mitchell is expected to be cited and released, Esparza said. …MORE

From WHBF
MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill. (AP) – A suburban Chicago man who reportedly drove his truck into the path of a Metra commuter train had more than 50 traffic violations, including a DUI arrest.
Police say 59-year-old Kazimierz Karasek of Prospect Heights disregarded a “No Left Turn” sign as well as downed gates and crossing lights
Friday to drive in front of the train. ….MORE