Train Deaths: Education Is Key

The death of a 12-year-old girl hit by a train in Santa Ana this week has dramatized again the need for a greater public education campaign on safety near tracks.

Elizabeth Tepox, a fifth-grader at nearby Kennedy School, was killed when she ran in front of a northbound Metrolink train. It was the second fatality in two months near the intersection of McFadden Avenue and South Lyon Street. That area has heavy train traffic throughout the day.

Police and train officials said all the warning lights and bells were working. It appears Elizabeth just tried to outrun the train. She was with her sister and her niece, who stopped in time and were not struck.

Santa Ana officials said after the accident that they hope to launch a program to educate residents on how to cross tracks safely. It is clear that such an effort is needed.

People, especially children, easily can forget the power and speed of trains. Officials said the average Metrolink train weighs 450 tons and travels up to 79 miles per hour. With that weight and speed, it covers hundreds of feet in seconds and requires hundreds of yards to stop. Police said even the wind generated by a passing train can suck bystanders against the cars if they are too close.

Santa Ana already has a pedestrian task force that is trying to reduce the appallingly high number of residents killed or injured by automobiles. One official has raised the idea of working with the task force on a train safety program, perhaps distributing Spanish-language safety ideas and warnings. Getting help from schools in conducting such a campaign would be wise. So would enlisting assistance from community organizations and targeting parents with the warnings.

There are no fail-safe methods to keep people from crossing the tracks improperly; that’s a common occurrence now in Santa Ana. At the crossing where the girl was struck, traffic arms come down when a train is about to pass, though they cover only part of the sidewalk. Lights flash and bells sound as well. Train workers said extending the traffic arms would create new problems, possibly striking passing pedestrians. They also said it would be easy to walk around longer gates. Too many motorists have shown how easy it is to drive around crossing gates in an effort to beat the trains.

The best prevention will come through education. Periodic reminders in schools and fliers handed out to pedestrians and shoppers can help residents realize the dangers of speeding trains. Police patrols near especially dangerous crossing points can reinforce the message.