- Operation Lifesaver's Safety Week runs from Sept.23. - Sept.30.
- The week will be filled with events, that will come along with railroad safety tips.
- Watch video above to hear how our neighbors could stay safe around railroads.
“I remember the thing I was most scared about was if the train was going to explode,” said Lansing Resident Cheryl Benjamin.
That was a scary thought racing through Benjamin's head in June of 2022. She was a passenger on an Amtrak train that derailed in Missouri. The derailment injured 150 people and killed 4.
“I had a concussion, my ribs were bruised from me being pulled out of the train by my wrists and I have PTSD,” Benjamin said.
It was later revealed in a report from the National Transportation safety board, the train crashed into a dump truck, which failed to stop.
“It's all preventable.. you don't have to be hit by a train,” said Curtis Stewart with Michigan Operation Lifesaver.
Stewart said these kinds of incidents happen far too often. He said in Michigan last year, there were 54 train crashes involving cars, those crashes resulted in a total of 4 deaths.
As for those walking on a train tracks - Stewart said there were 7 incidents, which resulted in another 4 deaths.
“We just want you to stay off, stay safe and stay away,” Stewart said.
That’s a message that’s constantly echoed throughout Operation lifesaver's safety week. It’s in its 15th year.
“It's our annual event, it used to be called rail safety week, now we call it C-track and Train week and it goes from today, til Sunday and we have different events thought out the week,” Stewart said.
Stewart said each event is jam packed with railroad safety tips.
“One of the biggest safety tips is to stay off of train tracks,” he said. “It’s illegal and and it’s considered trespassing, so you shouldn't be walking on train tracks. Next if you are in a car, and you see the the blinking lights telling you to stop, just wait and be patient.”
Law enforcement like the Ingham county sheriff's office and MSP are pitching in to promote these safety tips during this week.
Click here to view a list of events happening during safety week!
