Strangely, for the second time in two weeks, a car has been struck by a train at the railroad crossing on Old Iowa Park Road and FM 369. KFDX News Channel Three reports that the incident happened at about 9:00 on Thursday morning.
Thankfully, the driver was able to escape with what are being described as minor injuries. His car was struck by a Burlington-Northern Santa Fe train. The driver, 89-year-old Bobby Metcalf from Iowa Park, was driving through the crossing when the arm came down on top of his automobile.
The train, which was hauling semi trailers, struck the front of his car. He was taken to United Regional Hospital, and his condition was listed as good.
Like the previous incident, the train was equipped with video recording equipment, so officials are likely reviewing that footage to see what happened. Additionally, railroad officials say that no crew members were injured in the collision.
Fatal Train Crash at Old Iowa Park Road and FM 369
Two weeks ago, we reported on the fatal train crash at the very same railroad crossing on Old Iowa Park Road. This crash took the life of a 91-year-old Holliday resident. Her car was stuck between two crossing gates when it was hit. The train involved was also from Burlington-Northern Santa Fe Railway.
There’s no word on the investigative updates in this case, but now that there has been a second collision at the same railroad crossing, investigators are likely taking a much closer look.
Hopefully, safety officials will be able to determine what’s going on at this railway crossing. Each train was equipped with video recording devices, so hopefully, that footage can shed light on these dangerous wrecks.
Ensuring Railroad Crossing Safety for Texas Drivers
As we discussed in our report on the previous railway crash, there are more railroad-vehicle intersections in Texas than in any other state, and Texas accounts for almost 10 percent of all railroad crossing accidents that happen across the country. Now that two train-versus-car collisions have happened at the same intersection in Wichita Falls, just two weeks apart, something needs to be done.
In addition to reviewing camera footage, investigators need to take a comprehensive look at how the signals and crossing arms are working at this particular stop. If those crossing arms or lights are malfunctioning, they need to be addressed immediately. The team at the Altman Legal Group wishes Mr. Metcalf a full and speedy recovery.