Man dead after car collides with train in Mobile, neighbors say these crashes are preventable

MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — The Mobile Police Department is investigating a train crash that left one man dead on Forest Hill Drive on Saturday morning. Two neighborhoods are nearby the railroad tracks, and residents there say these kinds of accidents are preventable.

Mobile Police and Mobile Fire Rescue went to the railroad crossing on Forest Hill Drive near Pinewood Drive around 10:30 a.m. When they arrived, they found the 29-year-old driver dead from the collision.

“It’s bad, it’s sad,” said neighbor Javier Torres.

Torres lives in front of the railroad tracks and knew something was wrong when he noticed a Mobile Fire Rescue truck pull up in his front yard. He stepped outside and saw a destroyed, blue Nissan Altima with its airbags deployed and windows shattered.

He walked the track and took pictures of what he saw.

“The train was coming pretty fast,” said Torres. “[It] hit the car–at least drug the car for at least half a mile. I saw the guy and the guy’s gone.”

Neighbors who live off of Forest Hill Drive said that they are concerned because these kinds of crashes keep happening.

Nancy Patterson said that she’s worried because the crossing right by her house doesn’t have the traditional red and white safety arms that let drivers know when a train is coming.

She said that adding safety arms to the crossing could save a life.

“I think the bars–crossing bars would deter people from trying to beat the train,” said Patterson. “And the other track a block from us has crossing arms, and I don’t know why ours does not. Forest Hill Drive has a lot of traffic on it.”

Both Torres and Patterson said that they have a solution to prevent future crashes.

“You know, stop,” said Patterson. “Don’t try to beat the train.”

“If they try to put arms,” said Torres. “It’d be much better because nobody can get through the arms, and if they try, they’re stupid.”

The Mobile Police Department has not released the name of the person killed in the crash as this incident remains under investigation.

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