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More than 10 killed in 62 train incidents over past 3 years in Colorado

Injuries, death occur more than half the time
Posted at 5:11 PM, Feb 07, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-07 20:26:39-05

DENVER – There were 62 incidents where a train collided with a vehicle or person in Colorado between January of 2015 and November of 2017, according to Federal Railroad Administration data reviewed by Denver7 Investigates.

In those accidents, 11 people were killed and 28 injured.

The most accidents — 13 — occurred in Weld County. That’s where a high school student was killed Tuesday evening when her SUV was struck by a train at a railroad crossing in Eaton. Kennedi Ingram was a senior at Eaton High School.

Ingram is the second teenager in a year to die at that crossing near the intersection of 5th Street and Highway 85.

Dallas Duran died Feb. 22, 2017, when a train collided with his sedan at the same Eaton railroad crossing. After his death, the government approved funding for a crossing gates to be installed at the intersection, but construction has not yet begun.  

In addition to the fatalities of Duran and Ingram, seven people have been injured as a result of the 13 train collisions since 2015.

Other areas have reported fatalities and injuries from train collisions, including deaths in Arapahoe, Boulder, Yuma and Otero counties. Denver County recorded 1 injury among 5 accidents, according to federal records reviewed by investigative reporter Jace Larson.

The county with the most people killed is Las Animas where five people died on June 26, 2016. Federal Railroad Administration records show the driver stopped and then proceeded across the tracks.