Saturday, May 23, 2015

2 INJURED IN MINIVAN-TRAIN CRASH IN TIPPECANOE COUNTY, INDIANA








MAY 22, 2015

TIPPECANOE COUNTY, INDIANA

A minivan collided with a freight train about 2 p.m. Friday west of West Point, sending two people to the hospital.

The driver of the minivan, Fancy Abernathy, 19, of Lafayette, and her passenger, Jacob Hornbeck, 21, of Lafayette, had scrapes and cuts from the impact, said Tippecanoe County sheriff's Deputy Thad Miller.

They were transported to St. Elizabeth East hospital for non life-threatening injuries.

Abernathy was traveling north on West Tippecanoe County Line Road and told Miller she did not hear or see the westbound freight train, Miller said. The train struck the back quarter panel of the minivan on the passenger side, pushing it into the field at the northwest corner of the intersection.

Two puppies in the van were found safe at the scene.

This is the second vehicle struck by a train at this particular intersection this year. Rachael Logan, 34, of West Point was killed at this intersection on March 6.

Unfortunately, there is a small number of drivers who are refusing to wait for a train to pass and they are trying to beat it, with often tragic consequences.
It's not worth the game of chicken.  The two, three or four minutes you will spend waiting for the train to pass is not greater than the time spent injuring yourself or your vehicle, or even loss of life.