Two killed in car, train wreck..........The guy was my distant cousin

You and your family have my heartfelt sympathy.

 

Oh my gosh.....I am so sorry to hear about your loss! My heart goes out to you and your family. You and yours are in my prayers! Take care and God Bless

 

:cry:

 

Both of the families and friends are in our thoughts and prayers.

 

:cry:

 

Its a very tragic story. Unfortuately, it takes tragic accidents to get things accomplished. I won't be surprised if by October, the DOT and NCRR is putting up crossing arms there. How many times has a traffic light been erected after a fatal accident.

It was said on the news that people have long tried to convince officials to install crossing arms. Its too late for this family, but perhaps it will bring to light the dangers that these rural crossings represent. You obviously can't close RR crossings that are necessary or put gates and lights at every single crossing, but those with moderately high traffic should have at least the most simpliest crossing gates and flashing lights, afterall, this isn't a higher speed rail line. The train that struck their car was only going about 20 mph. I say put in these simple gates at such crossings. If someone drives around them, than they have taken the risks knowing the consequences. At a non-gated crossing, however, judging the speed of the approaching train is solely left up to the motorist attempting to cross.

As for the family, I am so sorry for your loss. However, given the loss of both parents and who knows what kind of injuries incurred by the infant, maybe it was just for the best for the infant. May the Lord find a way to comfort your hearts.

 

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3460732/


the infant didn't make it.

 

Not to be insensitive here and my sypathies to the family but the oroginal article did say they tried to beat the train did it not? Not sure this is a product of needing a crossing sounds more like an unfortunate incident.

Again, my symathies to the family.

 

My sense from the original article was that he didn't see the train until he was almost at the track, and then had to make a split-second decision - Can I stop in time? Apparently he thought he was too close to stop before the tracks, that's why he tried to beat the train.

 

Well I'll let you know that their house is maybe a half mile, if that far, from the accident site. You, I or anyone else have no clue what was going on in the car before the accident. So to automatically think he was trying to "beat" the train is wrong. Whose to say the baby wasn't crying? Who knows, but it's disrespectful to the family to suggest blame. They are gone and the family deserves respect. That crossing by the way has been crossed by those two hundreds of thousands of times and hardly ever do trains cross at those times. It was just a very, very sad accident, plain and simple.

BTW, speaking of bad taste, I don't think it was appropriate for WRAL to post 23 minutes of video of SKY-5's camera shot from up above focusing 80% of the time zooming onto the car as the fire dept. tried to get them out. At one point the firemen had to hold tarps over the car to keep the camera from seeing what was happening. I mean I realize we live in "tragedy= ratings" but come on. That was wrong...........let's see as I type this.........it's still up. Geez.

 

agree 100%. have a little sympathy and respect!

 

I also agree that WRAL should not place 23 minutes of raw video streaming on their website like this. It is wrong for any news outlet to create additional stress on the emergency personnel in dealing with the circumstances, plus there should be a little more care in respecting the deceased and their families. I don't have a problem with them using their means of collecting aerial video (helicopter), but only to be used in an edited format for the story. It borders on irresponsibility from what is supposed to be professional news media. Repeatedly zooming in on the wreckage seems to only be for the purpose of evoking more website visitation. Personally, I did click on it but only watched about 2 minutes of it. Who wants to sit there and watch 23 minutes of the same image zoomed in and out?

As for whether or not this young father was attempting to beat the train or didn't realize the train was there, I'm not for certain. I would suppose that eyewitness accounts should be able to determine that to some degree but no one will ever know what he was thinking. Was he distracted by the baby or the mother? Did he have the radio playing? Was he on a cell phone? Did the train blow the horn? Were they running late and didn't want to be caught by a coal train moving at 17 mph?

What would seem most likely is an attempt to beat the train if they were on the way to pediatrician visit assuming that the train was blowing its horn. Through that area the tracks are mostly straight and not a lot of overgrowth. I assume the train was likely heading east toward Goldsboro since the coal plant is there so it hadn't yet reached the left curve to go into the town limits of Princeton.

 

There is some small consolation that they are all together in heaven.

 

The state is going to have to begin closing some of these crossings. They can not likely afford to put crossing gates at every single intersection with a road or drive. There are numerous locations along the NCRR that represent a danger to people who, in a moment of lapsing judgement, could make a similar tragic mistake. Closing crossings won't be a popular decision with those that have to drive a mile or two out of the way to cross over, however the need for increased train service will demand it. Furthermore, there will be an increase of speed on that section of track in coming years so the closures are coming. That particular crossing will likely get the gates I imagine soon, but probably for every one intersection that gets them, four or five more will be closed and motorists will just have to adjust.

 

I attended the wake tonight of Brady/Wiggins family. I got in line at 6:15 and got out at like 8:40. I've never seen that many people at Parrish's ever. I had to park across the street in the graveyard because of all the cars. It's such a sad, sad, situation. Remember the family at 2pm on Tuesday when the funeral will take place.

 

update from http://www.wtsbradio.com/

Railroad Agrees To Signalized Gates At Barden Street Crossing
Additional safety improvements will come to a rail crossing in Princeton following a deadly car train collision August 29. A family of three lost their lives when their car was struck by a freight train at the Herring Road crossing off US70-A. The crossing was already set to have signalized gates installed in 2009 as part of a joint Eastern Corridor Safety Program to improve safety at all crossings on the North Carolina Railroad between Pine Level and Morehead City. On Monday, Princeton Mayor Don Raines said the railroad has now agreed to upgrade two crossings in the Town of Princeton instead of just one, as a direct result of the tragic accident just two miles outside the city limits. In May, the Town of Princeton agreed to allow signalized gates at the Center Street crossing. Now, the railroad will pick up the cost of adding a gate at the Barden Street crossing. Mayor Raines said the safety upgrades are a direct link to last months tragedy that claimed the lives of Brannon Brady, 22, his fiancée, Crystal Higgins, 22, and their one week old baby, Skylar.

 

:iagree: They are together in heaven.

I am just now reading this thread and my heart goes out to the families. I am so sorry for your losses.

 

The people who did this are truly scum of the earth.


http://www.1270wmpm.com/pages/localnews.html

Thieves Steal From Family Killed In Train Collision
Less than three weeks after a Princeton couple was tragically killed in a collision with a train, relatives have reported someone has burglarized their home. Brannon Brady, Crystal Higgins, and their infant son, Skylar, died in the collision at the Herring Road rail crossing August 29. Brady’s father, Ricky Brady, alerted deputies to a break-in at his deceased son’s home on Herring Road this week. Someone broke into the residence between Sunday and Tuesday taking $1,945 in property including a video game system, flat screen TV, and DVD collection. Sheriff’s detectives have been assigned to the case.

 

Mean people suck!! :x That is just lower than low!! I hope they catch the SOBs!! :evil:

 

:banghead::banghead::banghead:

What is wrong with some people??? There are no words to describe how despicable that is.