State’s track ‘trespasser’ deaths increase in recent years

On Connecticut's tracks, trains have collided with 30 pedestrians and nine motor vehicles since 2017, with six pedestrians and one motor vehicle hit so far this year, according to a statement from the state Department of Transportation.

To help save lives, Operation Lifesaver for its 50th anniversary is working to reduce collisions at roadway-rail crossings and to eliminate pedestrian trespassing on or near tracks. The nonprofit organization launched a recent nationwide public awareness campaign to spread its message of railway safety, including several television ads airing in Connecticut.

Connecticut remains far from the state with the most rail collisions. Operation Lifesaver, which collects data on train-related collisions, found that Texas was the state with the most.

Two fatal railway accidents in Connecticut occurred earlier this month. A 38-year-old Newington man was struck and killed by a train near the Cos Cob station in Greenwich in the late afternoon on May 4, and just after midnight on May 5, a 54-year-old man from New Rochelle, N.Y., was hit and killed near the Stamford station.

On April 10, a MetroNorth train fatally struck a pedestrian on the tracks at the Greenwich station. Another man was fatally hit March 30 on the tracks east of the Fairfield Metro station.

For its public awareness campaign, Operation Lifesaver is promoting three video ads that range from 15 to 60 seconds, highlighting rail safety for train passengers, pedestrians and drivers, according to the statement. The videos will begin airing in midJune.

One ad tells viewers what to do if their vehicle becomes stuck on the tracks. It instructs viewers to get out of the vehicle and locate the blue and white Emergency Notification System sign with a number to report the incident.

“Remember, find the blue and white to save your life,” the video states. “If an ENS sign cannot be found at a train track crossing, drivers can dial 911.”