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Updated: 12:57 PM Nov 10, 2008
Deadly Railroad Crossing In Rocky Ford
Rocky Ford, CO Five people have been killed in a little more than 4-months. All were hit by trains while driving across the exact same railroad crossing in Rocky Ford. Three were killed on Friday night and the other two were killed this past July. Posted: 5:37 PM Nov 7, 2008Reporter: Rosie Barresi Email Address: rbarresi@kktv.com |
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17 Comments 
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this is horrible a wonderful artist deid from this,...IT WAS IGGNORANCE! I BLAME THE TRAIN DRIVER!
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First of all I've been a victim of this crossing, and I'd like to say how sad it is 2 read the comments that people leave when theres such a tragedy in our small town, pure ignorance there if u ask me...Rocky Ford is a town which is divided by the tracks down the middle the people who have lived here their whole lives, me being one of them, have grown adapted to the train, so as far as the comments made about how can u not know? well....if u don't see it right there u dont. What a lot of people don't know is that there has been many more accidents at this crossing dating back to 1980 my attorney has a record of over 20. So this isn't a new problem, it's just one that the BNSF & County didn't consider a priority to spend their "funds" on even though they were granted the money back in 2004 per record of a newspaper article When it was stated that they realized this was "a very dangerous crossing"---quote by county officials. My heart goes out to those who lost their loved ones.
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I HATE to hear that people have died at this RR crossing!! It's SAD!! I'm really glad that i didn't see this happen!! I'd CRY!! And my advice to anyone who crosses these RR tracks is to STOP, LOOK & LISTEn for trains. I know that when you looking to see if there is a train then ur alreay on the tracks. I know. I've went through them tracks before. I never will again. If you ask me, I thing is very DANGEROUS and someone NEEDS to WORK on these RR tracks!!!
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What an incredible tragedy! My heart goes out to Melanie and the Griffin family. I'm so sorry for your loss. May angels surround you all and bring you comfort and peace in this time of extreme sadness.
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This crossing is a known dangerous crossing. I have always lectured to my family to make sure they stop and look before crossing these tracks. Personally I think that people get to focusing on the highway traffic instead of paying attention to the RR Tracks, as the stop sign to the highway is right on the north side of these tracks. The bushes are a roadway back from the tracks - the July accident was a westbound train - which there are no bushes on the east side of the road. Both these accidents the vehicles were headed north - which would make sense they were probably paying attention to highway traffic instead of the tracks or watching for trains. Although I have heard trains come thru that barely sound their horn. There have been so many accidents at this crossing - and they don't just involve 17 year olds. Something needs to be put in place for safety purposes, before more lives are lost here - I live on this road and I too have come close to being hit a couple times.
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I think it's a tragety, there has been 2 wrecks at this intersection. They need to do some serious work on it. I knew the guy that passed away before this wreckage and he was really close with me. I miss him badley. Whoever seen this happen, it must haunt them at night. I know it would haunt me. I would cry. I just hope that they do some work on this intersection, there have been two deaths and 5 people that have died at this intersection. R.I.P Griffins D.G
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that is just sooo sad we already had five people die in the same area! its rediculous i think they need to work on that before anyone else gets hurt!!! i would hate to even hear about one more accident at those tracks!!!!!!:(
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I'm a Rocky Ford resadent and the people who lost their lives on that crossing would still be here if there were arms or lights they'll be missed by many. The crossing is known as a deadly place and there needs something to be done before someone else dies. the conduter needs to learn how to honk his horn and worn the people whose driving if not that they need to hurry up and put the arms there or the conducter needs to go to classes and learn how and when to honk his horn. the crossing is a main exit many people use but every since the deaths no one want to use the crossing. And the moron her is Brandon. thank you very much.
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now i have to correct some people! first of all Lanae u don't even drive so i don't even know why u put your 2 cents in it, and u can't see, cause the trees do block your view!!!! and when you do stop to look and see if a train is coming, your already on the railroad tracks. Second of all it was not Davonna's fault that they got hit. It doesn't matter if she was a 17 yr old driver!!! hello she was driving with her grandmother! young PPL learn to drive when they drive with older experienced drivers so don it has nothing to do with being mature, because there are alot of older PPL like in their 60's that you might think are mature and wreckless drivers....and Brandon they may be massive but they don't honk their horns all the time when they should, even at a crossing like that, so your the moron cause you don't even know!
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It sucks that 5 ppl are dead, but how in world do you get hit by a train? They are massive machines with a loud, annoying horn and have these things called TRACKS. when you see them, you STOP, if not, you take your chances. Apparently all of the ppl killed took a chance and LOST. PPl need to start taking responsibility for their own actions. If you're dumb enough to race a train and lose....that's one less moron on the streets that will injure me by doing something just as dumb.
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Don, you wake up. I was almost killed by a 65 year-old who didn't stop at a two way stop intersection when I was 17. I know there are a lot of stupid kids behind the wheel, but older drivers often lapse into very dangerous habbits as well. So wake up and try to realize it's not 17 year-olds causing all these accidents but impatient and drunk drivers in general. They come in all age groups!
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another 17 yr old driving! what does that tell you. you actually have to be MATURE, and old enough to understand and have the experience(driving) to know that these inncidents happen all the time. If you know there's a crossing why didn't you stop,look,and listen. Kids don't get it. Wake up,,,,you could be next!
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I have to correct what some people said in the video. I live in Rocky Ford and Cross that railroad crossing everyday. There is no blind spot and those bushes and trees don't block your view. If you slow down like your supposed to and actually look you have a clear view to see if theres a train or not. It's just most people are to careless to actually look so they blame it on the trees. After the accident in July my mother and I actually slowed down and looked and we had a clear view. So there is no blind spot.
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i logged into the tv news channel and saw the video, yesterday, from Friday night news....because this is the RR crossing on my Uncle Paul's road. We have driven on this road thousands of times. i lived there. Many people have been hit by trains and many killed at this crossing. NOW, TAKE HEED! REMOVE THE OBSTACLES AND INSTALL THE RAILS WITH FLASHING LIGHTS TO PREVENT MORE TRAGEDIES AT THIS CROSSING! BECAUSE, THE SUN CAN BE BLINDING EARLY AM AND LATE AFTERNOON, AT THIS CROSSING, AND THERE IS SHRUBBERIES, (BUSHES AND TREES) ON THE WEST SIDE---THAT SHOULD BE REMOVED, IF, RAILINGS AND WARNING LIGHTS ARE NOT INSTALLED!!! THE SHRUBBERIES OBSCURE COMPLETE VISION FOR ROAD TRAFFIC OF THE EAST-BOUND TRAINS. THIS IS SO SAD! TRAGEDIES SUCH AS THESE; SHOULD MOST DEFINETELY, COMPEL EACH PERSON TO REFLECT ON THEIR OWN PERSONAL LIFE. FOCUS ON GOD, AS #1 IN YOUR LIFE. GOD'S WILL MUST BE DONE!!! ARE WE LIVING IN OBEDIENCE TO HIM? DOES GOD GUIDE AND DIRECT YOUR LIFE EVERY DAY?
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Why does it take so long for anything to get done in Rocky Ford? It always seems that Rocky Ford is the last to get anything done. I live about a 1/2 mile to 3/4 of a mile from that intersection and if you area coming from the south, it is very hard for you to see the train if they are going toward La Junta and they don't always blast their horns. Me and my mother have to go over that intersection every day and we know the people that died. They were paper carriers for The Daily Gazette here in Rocky Ford and we know that they are going to be sadly missed.
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