‘Lucky’ driver hits train

Published 4:44 pm Monday, April 11, 2011

An Ohio woman is “really lucky” after her car was struck by a southbound train Sunday afternoon in downtown Brewton.

Brewton Police Lt. Brock Holt said the accident involving one vehicle and train held traffic up downtown as emergency workers responded to the scene.

Dawn Giltrow, of Middleton, Ohio, received only minor injuries in the accident, Holt said. She was transported to D.W. McMillan Hospital where she was treated and released Sunday afternoon.

“She was really lucky,” Holt said. “this could have been so muych worse.”

Holt said witnesses at the scene said the vehicle was justly slightly on the tracks as the train approached.

“We were told the nose of her car was over the track,” Holt said. “The driver told us she didn’t hear the train coming. She pulled up to the track and looked to the left and didn’t see anything and started onto the tracks. The train was coming from her right and that’s where the impact was.”

The crash occurred at the intersection of Lee Street and St. Joseph Avenue in downtown Brewton. The intersection is the only downtown crossing that has no signals.

“People really need to pay attention at all railroad crossings,” Holt said. “We just can’t stress enough how important it is to pay attention to signals at signaled crossings and to be especially alert at crossings that don’t have warning devices.”

Holt said the best way to insure safety at railroad crossings is to always expect a train.

“People just need to always assume there is a train coming when they come to a crossing,” Holt said. “By stopping and looking in both directions, you can avoid crossing into the path of an oncoming train.”

Holt said the vehicle was a total loss following the crash.