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Show Page 16 0 R E M TIMES Thursday, June 19, 2008 Operation Lifesaver brings train safety to Utah Cathy Allred DAILY HERALD Walt Webster has seen three fatalities during his tenure as a train engineer for the Pacific Union Railroad. The last death by train incident he can recall vividly. Retired, Webster is the assistant assis-tant coordinator of Operation Lifesaver working with CARE, the Crossing Accident Reduction Reduc-tion Enforcement program. I le helped host a media trip for Operation Lifesaver on Tuesday Tues-day through Utah County on Union Pacific's 1989 commemorative commemo-rative engine with travel cars built in the mid-50s. The Bountiful resident has given more than 2,400 presentations presen-tations on train crossing safety and has assisted in six Operation Opera-tion Lifesaver runs in 12 years. A nonprofit international public education program, ( deration Lifesaver's goal is to end collisions, deaths and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and along railroad rights-of-way. It is a program that is sponsored cooperatively by federal, state and local government gov-ernment agencies. It's a program Webster firmly firm-ly believes in because when there is a crash, a fatality, the North County Newspapers Daily Herald Publishing Co. 399 E. State Rd. - Pleasant Grove, UT 84061 756-7669 fAX: 756-5274 PT Activities Director to assist the elderly with individual & group activities. Come & work with a great team. Salary neg. Apply Ap-ply 164 W 200 S AF or contact Craig 492-1482 or 885-7893 POSTAL JOBS $17 08-$28 27hr, now hiring. For application and free government job into, call American Assoc of Labor 1-913-599-8042, 24hrs. emp. serv. Work from home. S500 - $5000 PTmonth. Call immediately imme-diately 801-461-3390 Healthy elderly woman needs live-in companion. 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His first and second fatalities fatali-ties he experienced as a train engineer occurred several years ago and involved an 18-year-old, and then a 25-year-old. His last fatality experience happened in 2006 and was a suicide. "That one bothered me a whole lot more than the others," oth-ers," Webster said. "I don't know why. Something building up inside or it was just respect for human life." Webster knew something wasn't right as his train approached ap-proached a man standing by the track in Wendover. "He was looking down instead in-stead of up and so I knew that he had something in mind that was not a healthy thing," he said. "He timed it so he was run over right in midsection and 1 didn't look back ... I didn't want to have that memory." hrfcrt I MrtBrt J Lehi Prvt bdrm bsmt apt single male $350 month avail 7-1 no contract. Shared Ivng room, ba & kitchen. Util paid, Wireless internet. Near UTA 4 1-15 No smkpets Call 768-2726 or 787-9585 801 - 734 toylM 10 Shared of AF irrigation irriga-tion & well waterfor sale 369-3400 ejohn21 msn.com IT PAYS TO READ The Herald Classifieds i'lf a i MS i -ji T " ' Af f f siiiiri- -'i s ' .'jil'Mr L'l . ' i ' ' -v rot - .usj ... . . T-4i------- ' 'TW' !imLin . CRAIG DILGERDaily Herald A car crosses the train tracks despite flashing lights and an approaching train near American Fork on Tuesday, June 17, 2008. Operation Lifesaver travels the country in a Union Pacific Railroad Train educating the public on the dangers of trains and working with local law enforcement to provide citations to trespassers and motorists who fail to stop at crossings. Webster stopped the train, but the empty coal train was going 55 mph and couldn't come to a complete stop until Steel Buildings Recession Re-cession Inventory Discount Dis-count No Broker, No Middleman Factory Direct to Site Can Erect, Cheap Freight www.scg-grp.com Source 0PM. 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Since the program Operation Lifesaver began in 1972, the number of crash incidents involving in-volving trains and people have dropped significantly. l nat s more prooi mat these types of programs are working, said Rick Thornton, senior special agent and public safety officer for Union Pacific. Pacif-ic. "We've stepped up the activity activ-ity in the last few years, so we have seen a reduction." Ninety -one incidents were recorded in 1978 in Utah and today the average is less than 20, 15 for 2007 with zero deaths involving a train. Thornton gave out four citations and one trespass warning while in Provo during Tuesday's ride. "The more citations that we issue, they are going to talk to their friends, they are going to talk their neighbors, they are going to talk to people at work, they are going to talk nso "I a2 1 1 x - r i - WW K (nmw Safety tips I Be aware that trains cannot stop quickly. Always anticipate a train approaching on the tracks. I Do not stand on or near the tracks. ) An average train overhangs the track by at least three feet. I An approaching train is actually moving faster than it appears. everybody in their family and tell them what happened when they received a citation," Thornton said. "So it's a goal of ours is to put the word out so that when somebody else goes to run a crossing and they see that they say, 'Oh no, 1 know what is going to happen.' I think it's very effective." He said it also helps the police officers understand the problem areas. "It lets local law enforcement enforce-ment know that they have other areas that they can pay attention to when they have the time," Thornton said. 833 S. 170 E. Provo 377-1011 boxmartofprovoyahoo.com 625 N. State St: Orem 224-2698 boxmartqwestoffice.net ? is Stone Ridge Veterinary CUnic FREE EXAMS FOR ALL NEW PATIENTS. Expires 063008 We appreciate your business, (limit 1 coupon per family) 424 S. Alpine Hwy Alpine 763-8280 tee Ajiunii'Itifi, i Early voting to begin Republicans may go to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots bal-lots in two primary races. Incumbent Chris Cannon is facing Jason Chaffetz for U.S. Congressional District 3 and Richard K. Ellis is facing Mark Walker for the Republican Re-publican nomination as state treasurer. The winner in each race will be on the ballot in November. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Those who wish a list of polling places may go to www.utah-countyonfine.com. www.utah-countyonfine.com. Early voting has begun and will conclude Friday. There are three locations in north Utah County, and times vary. Cannon's Web site identifies identi-fies his top issues as education, educa-tion, immigration, military, the federal marriage amendment, amend-ment, Internet tax moratorium, mora-torium, pornography, gun manufacturer's liability, Iraq, health savings accounts, limiting lim-iting frivolous lawsuits, and school trust lands. Chaffetz's site list four core principles, which he said would guide his policy decisions. They are fiscal discipline, dis-cipline, limited government, accountability and national security. Early voting I Utah Community Credit Union, 1364 N. Commerce Drive, Saratoga Springs Thursday and Friday, noon to 5 p.m. I American Fork Public Library, 64 S. 100 East American Fork Thursday 3-7 p.m. Friday 3-5 p.m. I Utah Valley University, McKay Event Center, North Presidential Suite, 800 W. University Pkwy, Orem Thursday and Friday, noon to 5 p.m. J I 1 A |