Vehicle Hit By Train in Jeff Davis Parish
Yesterday in Calcasieu Parish State Police were conducting a train enforcement operation. The idea behind the operation was to bring attention to the fact that when trains and vehicles meet at crossings the consequences can be deadly.
Oddly enough as members of Louisiana State Police were busy handing out 34 citations for train crossing violations, a call came in from neighboring Jeff Davis Parish about a crash involving a train and vehicle.
A motorist told police investigating the crash that he did not hear or see the train approaching the crossing. Fortunately, the incident between the vehicle and train resulted in no injuries. However, the front of the vehicle involved was severely impacted by the collision.
The incident happened at a crossing on Hoke Road in Jeff Davis Parish. We did not get details of any charges that were filed in the incident but betting on your car or truck versus a train is never a good bet to take. If you're fortunate enough to not lose your life or be severely injured then you might find yourself a lot lighter in the wallet.
Louisiana state law requires motorists to obey signals at railroad crossings and failure to obey could result in a fine of up to $200.00 and up to 30 days in jail for the first offense with higher fines and increased jail time possible for additional violations. The fine for racing a train is up to $1,000.
By the way, State Police have plans in place for more train enforcement details across Louisiana. Make sure you know the law and then make sure you bother to obey it.