LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Special agents from Norfolk Southern Railroad have been going door to door in Louisville, warning residents about the dangers of walking along railroad tracks.
The reason: Kentucky is ranked as one of the worst states for railroad injuries and deaths. As of 2018, Kentucky was 11th on that list - almost making the top ten.
"We come out to areas where we've seen an uptick in either fatalities, injuries, or the amount of trespassers on our property," said Hugh McCormack, manager of special investigations for Norfolk Southern Railroad Police Department.
Norfolk Southern police spent Wednesday passing out hundreds of pamphlets, hoping to educate the public about the laws and safety.
"In 2018 there were 1,022 casualties with 541 of those being fatalities. So people don't realize there's that many people injured and killed by trains every year," said McCormack.
One thing many people may not know: it's actually a crime to cross railroad tracks at spots that are not designated crossings, even if you're just walking across for a shortcut. Trespassers could be fined or even arrested if there are multiple offenses.
Officials are also searching for homeless camps to make sure people there are set up at a safe distance away from the tracks. It's considered trespassing to be on track property, not to mention it's extremely dangerous.
"A train going 55 mph will take at least a mile to stop and they can only go straight, they can't swerve out of the way to try to avoid somebody," said McCormack.
"So the most they can do is lay on their horn, hit the whistle and throw the train into emergency which means setting up all the breaks to stop the train as quickly as possible."
Police are also warning people to take trains seriously. The legend of the Pope Lick Monster in Louisville is known for drawing people to a dangerous train trestle in the area of Pope Lick Park. Police are asking people to stay off the trestle.
"There is no Pope Lick Monster. It's a myth, a legend, like a lot of ghost stories is basically what it is," said Supervisory Special Agent Jim Grice.
"It's a dangerous place. One, the footing going up and down is very dangerous and two, if you're up there on the trestle and the train comes, there is no way off but either stuck to the front of the engine or off to the side and that's a 90 something foot drop down," he added.
McCormack also warns that people may not hear the train, despite the loud whistle and horn because of the wind, and even headphones.
"If you have the wind blowing in your face, you'll not hear a train come up behind you. It deadens the sound so much they'll sneak up on you," said McCormack.
Norfolk Southern police will patrol the tracks Thursday after passing out 500 educational pamphlets Wednesday.
Copyright 2019 WDRB Media. All rights reserved.
