By Catie O'Toole | cotoole@syracuse.com
August 10, 2015
OTEGO, N.Y. —
A 57-year-old man was killed and his wife lay injured Sunday after the golf cart he was driving struck a freight train in rural Upstate New York, state police said.
Charles W. Turk, of Bloomville, was driving the gasoline-powered golf cart behind 515 county Route 48 in Otego when he tried to cross the tracks at a private agricultural crossing.
As he tried to cross the Canadian Pacific railroad tracks at 2:54 p.m. Sunday, the golf cart struck the engine #8082 of a westbound Canadian Pacific train, troopers said. The two-engine train was pulling 31 cars of mixed freight at the time of the crash, state police said.
Turk was found dead on the south side of the railroad tracks beneath his overturned golf cart, state police said in a news release. His wife, Cynthia E. Turk, 58, was riding on the golf cart at the time of the crash. Troopers said they found her nearby with two broken legs. She was airlifted to Albany Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries, troopers said.
The Daily Star reported the couple's dog was in the golf cart at the time of the crash, and found dead near the tracks.
Charles Turk's body was taken to A.O. Fox Hospital in Oneonta for a postmortem examination without an autopsy, at the request of Otsego County Corner James Hurley, state police said.
A state Department of Transportation rail safety inspector has been contacted and the investigation is continuing, state police said.
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10 August 2015
NYSP investigating a fatal golf cart accident involving a train in Otego
NEW YORK STATE POLICE
Troop C - Sidney
Major Donald Faughnan
Troop Commander
(Otego, NY – August, 10, 2015) On August 9, 2015, at about 2:54p.m., New York State Police from Oneonta responded to a report of a golf cart striking a train behind 515 County Route 48 in Otego, NY. Upon arrival troopers found the operator of the golf cart, Charles W. Turk, 57, of Bloomville, NY, laying deceased on the south side of the railroad tracks beneath his overturned golf cart. His wife and only passenger, Cynthia E. Turk, 58, also from Bloomville, NY, was found lying nearby with two broken legs.
An investigation revealed that Mr. Turk was operating a gas powered golf cart in a northerly direction when he attempted to cross a private agricultural crossing of the Canadian Pacific railroad tracks and struck Canadian Pacific Engine 8082 which was traveling in a westerly direction. This freight train was operated by Engineer Patrick Madden and conductor Brian McAlister. It was a two engine train that was pulling 31 cars of mixed freight.
Otsego County Corner James Hurley responded to the scene and had the deceased taken to AO Fox Hospital for postmortem examination without an autopsy. Mrs. Turk was transported to Albany Medical Center by medical flight with non-life threatening injuries.
A NYS DOT Rail Safety Inspector was contacted and the investigation is continuing.