Train accident draws criticism of crossings

OUTRAGED AFTER THE RAIL RUNNER SLAMMED INTO A JEEP KILLING TWO PEOPLE INSIDE. PEOPLE AT THE...  More »

OUTRAGED AFTER THE RAIL RUNNER SLAMMED INTO A JEEP KILLING TWO PEOPLE INSIDE. PEOPLE AT THE LOS LUNAS MID VALLEY AIR PARK SAYS YESTERDAY'S CRASH IS A TRAGIC EXAMPLE OF WHY THE AREA NEEDS RAILROAD CROSSING ARMS. GADI SCHWARTZ IS LIVE NEAR LOS LUNAS WITH THE RAILRUNNER'S RESPONSE. GADI? THIS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST OF 16 PRIVATE CROSSINGS SCATTERED ALONG THE RAIL-RUNNER CORRIDOR. AND WHILE MOST OF THESE UN- PROTECTED CROSSINGS ONLY SERVE A HOUSE OR 2- THE RESIDENTS HERE SAY THEIR AREA HAS GROWN BIG ENOUGH TO EARN SOME GOVERNMENT PROTECTION. 12:26 nat pop of car going over tracks CARS CAUTIOUSLY CROSSING FLOWERS - AND UGLY SKID MARKS SAY IT ALL AT THESE TRACKS OFF 314. 4:22 well we came up to clean up the glass and it was just a mess and we didn't want to family to have to drive through all of this... AND AFTER SEEING WRECKAGE WRAPPED AROUND THE FRONT OF A RAIL RUNNER LAST NIGHT, MANY UPSET RESIDENTS OF THE MID VALLEY AIR PARK SAY THIS UNPROTECTED CROSSING HAS WORRIED THEM FOR YEARS. 3:04 it's just been a matter of time everyone says what is it going to take... LAST NIGHT'S CRASH KILLED 63- YEAR OLD CAROL ANN DONOVAN AND HER 54-YEAR OLD BROTHER MICHAEL RAFFER. THE TWO WERE IN TOWN TO MAKE FUNERAL ARRAIGNMENTS FOR THEIR MOTHER WHO DIED THIS WEEK. 3:25 her mother was suffering from parkinsons and carol had been taking care of her and she lived here on the air park she passed away. AND TODAY RESIDENTS SAY ITS TIME TO PROTECT THE CROSSING 7:12 the protection should be based on the number of people should be based on the number of traffic and the number of people who are involved. BUT RAIL RUNNER OFFICIALS SAY BECAUSE THE CROSSING HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PRIVATE DRIVE PUTTING UP A CROSSING GUARD WAS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. 25:07 they are like your driveway that's the best way to describe it like a driveway to your house and you cross the tracks so its is the owners, the responsibility of the owner or the development to put up the necessary requirements for safety... RAIL RUNNER OFFICALS DID TELL US THAT AFTER THIS CRASH THEY WILL GO BACK AND RE- EVALUATE THE CROSSING HERE OFF 314 ... BUT ALSO TELL US THAT THE COSTS OF PUTTING IN CROSSINGS ARE PRETTY HEFTY RANGING ANYWHERE FROM 200- THOUSAND TO A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS EACH. THE RAIL RUNNER  « Less