Pedestrian ‘lucky to walk away’ after being hit by empty coal train in Fairhaven
A teenage boy who was reportedly trespassing on Burlington Northern Santa Fe property near Fairhaven was able to walk away after being hit by a slow-moving empty coal train Monday afternoon.
BNSF spokesperson Courtney Wallace confirmed to The Bellingham Herald that the incident occurred shortly after 5 p.m. July 13, saying that it did not happen at a train crossing and that the teen was not seriously injured.
Bellingham fire and police responded to the incident near Fourth Street and Harris Avenue at 5:17 p.m.
Emergency radio broadcasts at the time said that the BNSF conductor told fire crews that they heard the impact and that it was hard enough to knock the teen off the track.
A broadcast at 5:21 p.m. said the teen was up and walking around, and then follow up broadcasts said police and fire crews were looking for him on area trails and in Marine Park.
Bellingham Fire Department Captain Dave Pethick told The Herald in an email that the train operator stopped and spoke briefly with the teen, who continued walking and was not on scene when fire crews arrived.
Wallace said the teen was later contacted by police and refused medical treatment.
The train was inspected for damage and continued on, Wallace said.
“This person is very lucky to walk away,” Wallace said. “It can take more than a mile for a train to stop, so people need to be careful around trains and stay off tracks. We’re very lucky this was not a fatality.”
Wallace reported in an email that there have so far been 11 train-related fatalities so far in 2020 in Washington state, and all 11 involved pedestrians.
Wallace provided the following tips in an email for pedestrians to remember around train tracks from Operation Lifesaver:
▪ Always expect a train — freight trains do not run on set schedules. Trains run on any track in any direction at any time.
▪ Remember that trains can’t swerve out of the way.
▪ Remember physics: the average freight train weight 12 million pounds.
▪ Don’t ignore warnings, such as flashing lights, bells and gates that activate when trains approach.
▪ Beware of the optical illusion that trains appear to be moving much slower than they actually are.
▪ Always watch for a second train.
▪ Remember that train tracks are private property and walking on them is trespassing.
▪ Railroad bridges and tunnels are not a safe, convenient way to get to recreation areas.
This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 11:05 AM.
