Collisions Between A Freight Train And A Motor Vehicle

Most of us only know freight trains from a distance.  When something is noisy, we say it sounds like a freight train.  We might see freight trains lumbering by as we drive on a road that runs parallel to the train tracks, and it is a relief when they get far enough past us that the rumbling sound gets quieter.  You might have even stopped in front of the railroad tracks when the crossing arms had lowered and all you could do was wait until the train had passed.  If you were one of the last cars to approach the track before the gates closed, you might have felt the ground shaking beneath your car.  You might also have noticed that the train is considerably wider than the tracks.  There is a reason you have never gotten up close and personal with a freight train.  Few who have crossed the path of a speeding train have lived to tell about it.  If you have been injured in an accident involving train tracks, contact a Columbia car accident lawyer.

West Columbia Man Dies Trying to Drive Pickup Truck Across Train Tracks

The train tracks that cross S.C. 16 Sunset Drive in downtown Columbia was the site of a deadly collision in February 2025.  Before sunrise, the crossing arms closed as a train was about to pass.  Otto Asmond, Jr. of West Columbia drove his pickup truck around the crossing arms, presumably thinking that the train was still far enough away that he could safely cross the tracks before the train got too close.  The train collided with his pickup truck, and Asmond died at the scene of the accident.  He was 57 years old.

Legal Liability for Train Track Accidents

Everyone knows that it is dangerous to cross train tracks when the crossing arms have lowered.  If accidents like the one that claimed Asmond’s life are as common as they are, it is due, at least in part, to the fact that it is as easy as it is for drivers to drive under or around the crossing arms.  The families of people killed by trains when the victims were attempting to walk or drive across the tracks may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the county or city where the tracks are located or against any of the companies that administer the trains or the tracks.  The plaintiffs’ claim is even stronger if the train was far away and the crossing arms were open when the victim’s car crossed the track, but the car got stuck on the track.  If an accident like this happened, it was likely because of a poorly maintained track.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you pursue a complaint related to a car accident that took place at a railroad crossing.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

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