TRAIN DEATHS IN BUTLER COUNTY
2005: Two pedestrians
2006: Two pedestrians
2007: Two pedestrians
2008: Two collisions
2009: One pedestrian
2010: Two pedestrians, one collision
2011: Two pedestrians
2012: Pedestrian
2013: One collision, one pedestrian
Source: Federal Railroad Administration
Butler County ranks second in the state for fatal accidents involving trains, with a concentration of those accidents in the Oxford area, a Journal-News analysis has found.
At least two people per year die in Butler County through train-related fatalities, with the majority of accidents coming from pedestrians trespassing on the tracks, according to statistics from the Federal Railroad Administration.
Since 2005, there have been 17 fatalities involving trains in Butler County. That’s second only to Cuyahoga County in the Cleveland area, which has 18. Franklin County has 16, followed by Hamilton County with 15, according to the FRA. Butler County has seen one to three train deaths each year since 1995. Of the 17 fatalities, less than five involved automobiles.
Rail-safety advocates are especially concerned about teenagers and young adults killed accidentally by trains in hangout spots on or near the tracks.
Oxford has seen four students die from train-related accidents in the past eight years, according to police. Most recently, sophomore, Jacob Jarman, 19, was found dead along the tracks near the intersection of South College Avenue and Foxfire Drive, having been struck by a CSX freight train in the early morning hours of Oct. 26. Authorities have not yet determined why Jarman, who hailed from Colorado, was on the tracks at that time.
Two students from Miami University died after being struck by trains in 2007. The death of Joseph Eger, 20, in October was ruled a suicide by the Butler County Coroner’s Office. Beth Spiedel, 19, died that previous April, authorities having found she was intoxicated. In 2005, David Brown, 2o, died when trying to cross the tracks in a vehicle. Jarman and Eger died at approximately the same location.
“The tracks kind of run through town, so for example, the person who found Mr. Jarman on the tracks was cutting through to go to McDonald’s that morning,” said Sgt. Jon Varley of the Oxford police. “We have a lot of people who will use the railroad tracks as an avenue to get into town.”
Miami University has sought to caution students about safety, not only in the wake of the deaths, but at all times, said University spokeswoman Claire Wagner.
“We have launched more discussions this fall about being caring and helpful with others, and those talks have continued following the death of Jacob Jarman last month. While we may not know what caused him to be hit by the train, we do know that watching out for each other can improve safety for students and others,” she said.
Those talks are part of a larger campaign called “I Am Miami,” which is designed to prompt students to be more reflective and helpful to one another, according to university officials.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio monitors accidents involving cars or other vehicles being struck by trains. Jason Gilham, a deputy director at PUCO, said Butler County has a concentration of crossings because of its high industrial traffic.
“We work with Operation Lifesaver, which has trained teams of volunteers that go around to schools talking about rail safety and being careful around crossings,” said Randall Schumacher, the head of PUCO’s rail division.
PUCO regularly inspects and evaluates railroad grade crossings and implements safety improvements at crossings across the state. PUCO also approves funding for enhancing safety at highway-rail grade crossings. Through October 2013, a total of 70 federal, state and locally funded safety upgrades have been ordered this year by the PUCO, including the installation of lights and gates, supplemental assistance upgrades, circuitry upgrades and closing, Gilham said.
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