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Show Accidentslncrease On Union Pacific Railroad Crossing Omaha, Neb., March 23 During the first two and-a-half months of 1948 there has been an Increase of 21 per cent In highway crossing accidents ac-cidents on Union Pacific compared with the same period of 1947, Q. F. Ashby, president of the railroad, said today. In the 11 western states served by the railroad there have been 103 such accidents January 1 to March 14 this year. In the same period of 1947 there were 87 accidents. acci-dents. The number of fatalities and Injuries were ' wme Nth years 14 fatalities and 22 Injuries. "These figures Illustrate vividly the carelessness of motorists on our highways," declared Mr. Ashby. "Ninety per cent of these crossing accidents happen where there is a clear and unobstructed view of our tracks, aside from the fact that crossings are marked, that warning signs are on the highway approaches approach-es and thai trains always whlstlte when approaching crossings." However, Mr. Ashby pointed out, even those grade crossing accidents In which miraculously there are neither fatalities nor Injuries are potential disasters. A bit of wreckage wreck-age on the track, he stressed, could send the train hurtling from the rails, killing and maiming trainmen and passengers. As an example, Mr. Ashby cited a crossing accident that occurred a few days ago In Portland, Oregon, in which a passenger train struck a huge gasoline truck and trailer that had stopped too near the track. Fortunately, no one was killed or injured, but the truck was demolish ed by fire and flames from leaking gasoline enveloped and badly dam aged the engine. Oher cars had to be cut away from the engine and pulled back out of reach of the leaping flames. "And what did the truck driver--luckily alive have to say?" Mr. Ashby declared. "Well, he said tl.at he saw the train approaching and stopped but he did not realize he was so close to the track until the engine struck the right front fen der of his truck. The following day a similar accident occurred at St. Louis, damaging the Diesel locomotive locomo-tive so badly It had to be taken out of service." . - Much more serious was a recent accident In the Los Angeles area described by Mr. Ashby. A car, traveling tra-veling at an estimated 45 miles per hour, shot In front of a Union Pa -dflc train and was ground Into a pile of Junk In the wink of an eye. A young women and a nine yer.--old boy were rushed to the hospital, Mr. Ashby recalls, but It was too late. Both died. The driver of the car, a young man, tottered dazedly from his twisted auto, Injured but still alive. "Safety has long been a by-word on Union Pacific and our program to make both employes and public safety conscious has been a continuous contin-uous one", Mr. Ashby declared, "IU an unending campaign." |