special to the star
The Mississippi Department of Transportation has a railroad blitz scheduled to take place on Thursday, from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. in Meridian.
Area residents and motorists will receive safety brochures as part of the event. The blitz will take place on 18th Avenue at the highway-rail grade crossing near the Meridian & Bigbee Railroad office.
The railroad blitz is a partnership between Meridian & Bigbee Railroad, MDOT Rails Enforcement, and the Meridian Police Department in conjunction with Mississippi Operation Lifesaver, Inc. Crossing blitzes are held throughout the year in various counties statewide to increase awareness and reduce the numbers of fatalities at locations where roadways intersect with train tracks and at railroad rights of way.
In 2008, there was an increase of grade crossing and trespassing fatalities, according to statistics compiled by the Federal Railroad Administration. There were a total of 18 in 2008, compared with nine fatalities in 2007. From January to August of this year there have been 10.
Due to the increase, it is dire that the public is informed about all of the dangers associated with highway-rail grade crossings and trespassing on railroad property, according to Kim Sloan, executive director of Mississippi Operation Lifesaver, Inc.
"Mississippi is currently ranked number seven in the nation for highway-rail grade crossing fatalities," she said. "We are going to continue to work on making the public aware of these incidences in an effort to bring about a decrease in the number of fatalities and injuries statewide."
Mississippi Operation Lifesaver, Inc. is a non-profit organization that is working diligently to stop the needless deaths and injuries on or near highway rail grade crossings through education, enforcement and engineering. Operation Lifesaver presentations are available free of charge to local schools and organizations. Call Mississippi Operation Lifesaver at (601) 359-7539 for more information.
