Amtrak/Car Collision in SW Michigan (1/29/18)

[KleShreen]

Driver apparently slid through a stop sign and got stuck on the tracks, but got out of the car. No injuries reported. (strong language in the video that is inside the story)

http://fox17online.com/2018/01/29/amtrak-train-hits-vehicle-in-comstock-twp/?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=5a6fa8a504d30112da1e0c65&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

 

[SarahZ]

That's near my neighborhood; my friend lives on that street. She's always scared she's going to slide through that stop sign in bad weather. If you look at this photo, taken from the stop sign on Leenhouts, you can see how a car can get stuck on the tracks if it slides straight through the intersection and onto the tracks.



There is an S-curve that the tracks run through, so the crossing signals are mounted every which way to ensure traffic can see the lights and stop in time. With the way the S-curve is set up, though, the crossing arms don't full cover the intersection, so the signals are extra important.

This is the view when driving east. Leenhout is to the right, just after you go over the tracks. You can see the crossing arm to the right of the frame, showing just how much room there is between the two crossing arms and the intersection as a whole.



I've seen many drivers get confused when they approach that intersection from the east, as the curve isn't marked very well and it looks like you're about to drive onto the tracks rather than over them. You also have a hill to contend with, and the train signals are huge, bright, red, and right in your face.

I've been through there a million times, and I still slow a bit at night to make sure I can see the crossing signals while navigating the curve. If it's icy, I avoid the area completely.

Leenhout goes to the left, then there is a road (Josephine) that goes straight, and then E. Michigan Ave. continues on that S-curve over the tracks.





(You can't see the train signals in this shot. They were mounted after the map date. They're right beside the telephone pole, which is why they appear as a red traffic light at first glance.)

I sort of wish they could rework that intersection, but I don't know how they would even start.

 

[SarahZ]

Also, I am in no way excusing the driver for sliding through the stop sign.

I just find that intersection sort of interesting, and I wanted to post pictures for those not familiar with the area.

I'm glad nobody was hurt.

 

[Lonestar648]

Where we used to live, the state, fed, and RR built a diagonal overpass to eliminate a similar grade crossing, though the small roads were not so close to the crossing, but were redirected to intersect an access road.

 

[daybeers]

Wow, that intersection is so terrible and very dangerous! Thanks for posting the info, Sarah, it was interesting to read!

I'm also glad nobody was hurt.

 

[SarahZ]

I think a fence would help immensely. Leenhouts is a hilly road, and ice is not uncommon in that area.

As the deputy stated in the video, this isn’t the first time a car has ended up on the tracks.

 

[neroden]

That's an awful intersection design. Perhaps the best option without building a bridge would be to square it off: make everyone on Michigan Ave turn sharply right and then sharply left in order to cross the tracks. Turn that upper intersection into a standard + intersection.

Leenhouts would still go straight across the tracks, so install gates good enough to stop a sliding car. Or you could offset the intersection of Leenhouts from the track crossing (by moving the track crossing east) and put up a fence (so cars on Leenhouts would simply slide onto Michigan Avenue and then stop at the fence).

If you want to go the extra mile, put up a traffic light and interlock it with the train signals to provide red / no turn signals when the gates are closed.

 

[Lonestar648]

The sharp turns would be a problem for large trucks making the turns and might get stopped inadvertently on the tracks.

 

[Steve4031]

Sarah, those pictures were helpful and understanding that grade crossing. Your efforts are appreciated.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[SarahZ]

I like the idea of a train-activated traffic signal, and they definitely need to put a fence along the tracks in that area.

There was a similar, weird intersection near Western Michigan University many years ago. I lived in a house near that area of campus and witnessed the aftermath of a vehicle that had been hit by an inbound Amtrak train.

The entrance/exit for Jimmy John's sat in a goofy location relative to the tracks, and there was a similar S-curve that brought traffic across the tracks. Sadly, the young lady exiting Jimmy John's did not see or hear the train. (Speculation was that she was on her phone and/or unfamiliar with that crossing.) Even more sad was that she perished in the accident.

As a result, and due to many requests from students and faculty at WMU, they completely reworked that intersection.

You can see where Jimmy John's exits near the tracks (top right of photo). They extended W. Michigan west to a new intersection (left side of photo). You can tell by the way W. Michigan doesn't quite line up. That Y-intersection is the new intersection.



There is a traffic light before the tracks that prevents traffic from getting stuck on the tracks while waiting for the light at Stadium Drive.



Additionally, they installed a fence along that curve by Jimmy John's. Eldred St, where the camera is positioned, is on a steep hill. The fence prevents traffic from sliding onto the tracks.



That exact same fencing has been installed in many other locations in the county, most notably after the track speed limit was raised east of town, so I'm hoping this will be the push they need to put some fencing at that intersection along E. Michigan.