A pickup truck driver is lucky to be alive after his vehicle was struck this morning by a BNSF train on Highway 6 near FM 646 in Santa Fe, Texas, Galveston County. Channel 2’s brief report (which includes video) says the driver was hospitalized (no wonder looking at the pickup truck) and police and BNSF are investigating what happened.
A teenage driver died and his 20-year old male passenger was critically injured when a train hit their SUV on Friday January 13, 2012. The crash happened around 4:00pm in Liberty County near Highway 90 and FM 1909. It appears the driver may have attempted to drive around the crossing control arm immediately before the crash according to Captain Rex Evans with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office. The passenger was taken by life flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital. ABC News’ report lists the driver’s age as 16 and states that train was operated by Kansas City Southern.
The teenager driver of this SUV was killed and his passenger critically injured in a train collision
Residents of Alvin, Texas are mourning the loss of a member of their community who will be fondly remembered for her tireless efforts over several decades on behalf of those with developmental disabilities. Betty Ketchum died the morning of Saturday July 23, 2011 when her car was hit by a train. According to a report on Eyewitness News Channel 13’s web site, Ms. Ketchum was crossing the railroad tracks while entering Froberg’s Farm when the train struck her: there is a stop sign at the railroad crossing but no lights and no gate.
Ms. Ketchum worked as the Executive Director of the ARC of the Gulf Coast, an organization providing services for people with developmental disabilities and their families. Ms. Ketchum began as a volunteer and had been with the organization for 30 years. Click2Houston.com’s coverage of this tragedy can be read online here, and lists the time of the collision as approximately 3:00PM. Apparently BNSF Railroad told Channel 2 that the train was traveling 53MPH when it collided with Ms. Ketchum’s car.
July 13, 2011 photo of Betty Ketchum from the United Way Galveston County Mainland's web site
Ms. Ketchum is already being remembered for her volunteerism on the web site of the United Way Galveston County Mainland web site where several have shared their memories of her. This is a very sad loss for the whole community. A memorial for Betty Ketchum is scheduled for Thursday at 3pm at the First United Methodist Church in Alvin.
This image from Google Maps shows Froberg's Farm in Alvin and a nearby railroad crossing next to CR 190.