Teen Critical After Train Rams Car
Castle Rock Student Airlifted To Swedish Medical Center
POSTED: 8:07 a.m. MST November 12, 2002
UPDATED: 5:14 p.m. MST November 12, 2002
CASTLE ROCK, Colo. -- A 16-year-old high school cheerleader was fighting for her life at Swedish Medical Center after the car she was in was hit by a train Tuesday morning.
Maureen Elizabeth Martin was driving to school at about 7:25 a.m. when she became stuck in traffic, and her car stalled just in front of the railroad tracks on Fifth and Front streets in Castle Rock, 7NEWS reported.
Her boyfriend, who happened to be driving behind her, saw that the railroad crossing arm was coming down and that the train was approaching, 7NEWS reported.
After the crossing arm landed on the hood of her car, Martin's boyfriend tried to use his pickup truck to ram her Mazda Protege off the tracks, but the car didn't budge much, Castle Rock police said.
"In an effort to move the car across the tracks, the vehicle from behind rammed it, but unfortunately, it didn't ram it far enough and the train struck it," Castle Rock Police Cpl. Ty Peterson said.
The train engineer said that from 100 feet away, he saw the car sitting on the tracks but was unable to stop the empty coal train in time, according to police.
The empty coal train was going about 40 mph when it broadsided Martin's car and pushed it 86 feet, 7NEWS reported. A total of 20 to 27 seconds elapsed between the time the railroad crossing arm came down and the train hit the car, railroad officials said.
Martin was trapped in the wreckage until rescuers arrived on the scene and used the Jaws of Life to cut her out of the mangled car.
The girl was taken to Douglas County High School and then airlifted to Swedish Medical Center in critical condition. She is suffering from head injuries, hospital officials said.
Martin, a junior at Douglas County High School, is described as a popular, outgoing cheerleader and a smart student, 7NEWS reported.
"He was just devastated ... it was traumatic," said Peterson.
Friends gathered Tuesday afternoon at the St. Francis of Assisi Church in Castle Rock to pray for Martin's recovery.
The horrific accident was witnessed by many people and has left Martin's boyfriend in shock, 7NEWS reported.
Union Pacific officials and Castle Rock police officers are investigating the accident.
Initial reports suggest that Martin had a problem with her car's stickshift and that is one reason why the car was stalled, 7NEWS reported.
And she may not have had much time to do anything. Union Pacific Railroad said that every train track has a circuit that activates warning lights and the crossing bar, but that's only 20 to 27 seconds before the train reaches the intersection.
Train engineers remind drivers and pedestrians to look, listen and live. A train traveling at 55 mph will take a mile or more to stop after emergency brakes are applied, according to Operation Lifesaver. That distance is at least 18 football fields, 7NEWS reported.
And a train is typically 3 feet wider than the rails on each side, so even if you are just near the tracks, you could still be in trouble, the station said.
Watch 7NEWS at 5 and 6 p.m. for a live report.
Maureen Elizabeth Martin was driving to school at about 7:25 a.m. when she became stuck in traffic, and her car stalled just in front of the railroad tracks on Fifth and Front streets in Castle Rock, 7NEWS reported.
Her boyfriend, who happened to be driving behind her, saw that the railroad crossing arm was coming down and that the train was approaching, 7NEWS reported.
After the crossing arm landed on the hood of her car, Martin's boyfriend tried to use his pickup truck to ram her Mazda Protege off the tracks, but the car didn't budge much, Castle Rock police said.
"In an effort to move the car across the tracks, the vehicle from behind rammed it, but unfortunately, it didn't ram it far enough and the train struck it," Castle Rock Police Cpl. Ty Peterson said.
The train engineer said that from 100 feet away, he saw the car sitting on the tracks but was unable to stop the empty coal train in time, according to police.
The empty coal train was going about 40 mph when it broadsided Martin's car and pushed it 86 feet, 7NEWS reported. A total of 20 to 27 seconds elapsed between the time the railroad crossing arm came down and the train hit the car, railroad officials said.
Martin was trapped in the wreckage until rescuers arrived on the scene and used the Jaws of Life to cut her out of the mangled car.
The girl was taken to Douglas County High School and then airlifted to Swedish Medical Center in critical condition. She is suffering from head injuries, hospital officials said.
Martin, a junior at Douglas County High School, is described as a popular, outgoing cheerleader and a smart student, 7NEWS reported.
"He was just devastated ... it was traumatic," said Peterson.
Friends gathered Tuesday afternoon at the St. Francis of Assisi Church in Castle Rock to pray for Martin's recovery.
The horrific accident was witnessed by many people and has left Martin's boyfriend in shock, 7NEWS reported.
Union Pacific officials and Castle Rock police officers are investigating the accident.
Initial reports suggest that Martin had a problem with her car's stickshift and that is one reason why the car was stalled, 7NEWS reported.
And she may not have had much time to do anything. Union Pacific Railroad said that every train track has a circuit that activates warning lights and the crossing bar, but that's only 20 to 27 seconds before the train reaches the intersection.
Train engineers remind drivers and pedestrians to look, listen and live. A train traveling at 55 mph will take a mile or more to stop after emergency brakes are applied, according to Operation Lifesaver. That distance is at least 18 football fields, 7NEWS reported.
And a train is typically 3 feet wider than the rails on each side, so even if you are just near the tracks, you could still be in trouble, the station said.
Watch 7NEWS at 5 and 6 p.m. for a live report. Copyright 2002 by TheDenverChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
