By ROBIN SHANNON

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE — The tragic train accident in Edgard Friday that took the lives of two St. John Parish women further highlights an unfortunate, but all too common problem that plagues our state.

Deidre Pierce, 45, and Donna Lumar, 56, were killed when a fast moving Union Pacific freight train collided with Pierce’s small car at a train crossing at W. 4th Street in Edgard. The impact threw the vehicle about 150 feet from the tracks. A third passenger, 13-year-old Keith Miller, was released from Children’s Hospital in New Orleans on Sunday and has returned to school. The accident is the most recent in a long history of train collisions in the state.

According to the most recent figures from the Federal Railroad Administration, in 2007 Louisiana railroad crossings experienced 121 train/car collisions, which is sixth in the nation. Out of those 116 collisions there were 14 deaths, which is eighth most in the United States.

“Louisiana has a lot of opportunities for an accident of this kind,” said Patricia Edwards, state coordinator for Operation Lifesaver, an international non-profit dedicated to the promotion of railroad safety.

“All six major railroads have 3,000 miles worth of rail lines running through the state. Those lines include about 600 crossings, the most of any state.”

Edwards said Operation Lifesaver works closely with the Department of Transportation and Development to look at crossings to determine what can and should be done to make it as safe as possible.

“The bottom line is public awareness,” said Edwards. “When vehicles approach crossings the driver should always expect a train to be there. It’s hard some times when it is a crossing that is used every day, but you never know when a train might be there.”

Edwards said a constant problem at intersections that lack drop down gates and lights is that motorists will try to beat the train to the crossing, even though it is difficult to determine how close a train is and how fast it is going.

“Drivers need to remember that a train traveling 55 miles an hour needs about a mile of track to stop,” said Edwards. “That may not be enough time to avoid collision.”

According to figures from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, less than 50 percent of the crossings in the state include safety measures beyond the black and white “cross buck” sign present at every crossing. It is a particular problem in rural areas with minimal heavy traffic, such as the crossing at W. 4th Street.

“It would be ideal for each crossing to have adequate safety mechanisms, but most areas don’t have the money to install the necessary lights and gates,” said Amber Hebert, spokesperson for LADOTD. “We do what we can to work with state officials and railroad companies to try and organize funding for the more dangerous crossings, but many times it is also up to the parish or local government.”

Hebert said all crossings, regardless of location, include the “cross bucks” just before the tracks. She said these signs are the equivalent of a yield sign and motorists should always slow down when approaching, even if there is no visible sign of a train on the tracks.

Raquel Espinoza, corporate relations and media director for Union Pacific Railroad, said the incident is still under investigation and could not provide any information about the speed of the train. She said the conductor was aggressively blowing his horn and doing all that he could to avoid collision.

“Our crews are affected deeply when an accident of this nature happens,” said Espinoza. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to these people’s families.”

In an effort to avoid accidents at crossings, Espinoza said Union Pacific works closely with organizations such as Operation Lifesaver to perform presentations and conduct enforcement exercises to alert motorists on what they are doing wrong.

“We just kicked off a public safety awareness program in Louisiana just one day before the accident happened,” said Espinoza. “Education is key here and we are committed to informing the public as best we can.”

On the local front, St. John Public Information Officer Buddy Boe said the Parish Public Safety Department is working with the various railroad companies in the area to look at safety at crossings. He said the parish is compiling a list of crossings that could be closed or upgraded.

“We have requested several upgrades on the East Bank and some on the West Bank,” said Boe. “Rail crossings are a special case to deal with as far as modification because in most cases when one gets modified one might end up closing.”

Boe said the parish has successfully worked with rail companies to allow for maintenance in the area surrounding the crossing, including grass cutting, in an effort to keep it as safe as possible.