Woman, 64, killed after collision with train in Milford
MILFORD, Mich. (FOX 2) - A woman was killed after her car was hit by a train in Milford at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Police tell FOX 2 the woman who was behind the wheel was headed to pick up a relative from school when a train struck her car.
"All of a sudden I heard the train slowing down," said Greg Dubiel who lives next to the railroad crossing. "And then the screeching wheels. And unfortunately, everybody knows what happened, that poor lady lost her life."
The car was left mangled and the 64-year-old Milford woman died after the train collision. It happened at the crossing on Old Plank Road.
Milford firefighters tried lifesaving measures before medics rushed her to Ascension Hospital in Novi, where she died.
"I’ve been here for almost 23 years and I’ve never seen this happen before," said Lt. Scott Tarasiewicz, Milford police.
He said although there are no crossgates at the railroad crossing, at least one of the signals were working.
Police say the driver toppled the other signal before colliding into the train, which was hauling 129 cars behind it. Right now it’s unclear why the woman did not stop for the train.
"In that area due to the weather it’s a little more slick, that could have been a possibility," Tarasiewicz said. "It could’ve been a possibility that this individual thought they were going to make it, you know, beat the train. At this point without doing further investigation, we just do not know."
Investigators are also looking into the possibility the woman had a medical emergency while driving.
In the meantime, Milford PD is urging everyone to be cautious when approaching railroad crossings.
"I would just remind people you just don’t know when a train is going to come," he said. "They’re not on regular schedules, so you got to always believe there is a train coming - and act and drive like a train’s coming."
"(I) feel bad for the family," Dubiel said. "It’s over with for her, but the family, the poor family has got to deal with this."
Investigators want anyone who witnessed the accident or who may have been in the area when this happened to call Milford police.
