SHAFTER, Calif. — A new petition is circulating in Shafter, calling for safer railroad crossings following a tragic accident where a pedestrian was struck by an Amtrak train near Central Avenue and Central Valley Highway on Saturday afternoon. Friends of the victim have been seen paying their respects at the site in the days following the incident.
One friend of the victim recalled the anxiety she felt crossing the tracks during her high school years. “It was nerve-wracking or scary… My thoughts, honestly, I would think like my foot is going to get stuck on a railroad track,” she said. She noted that while many kids would run across the tracks to beat the train, such incidents were not as common in the past. “It was never really a problem like it is today,” she added.
Now, she experiences constant fear every time her son crosses the tracks. “It’s every parent’s worst nightmare thinking whose kid it is or is it my kid,” she said.
According to Amtrak, railroad crossing incidents are the second leading cause of rail-related deaths in America, as reported by the Federal Railroad Administration…