Mary Kramer Suffers Serious Injuries in Amtrak Crash in Halifax, NC

Media reports suggested the 62 people who were injured in the Amtrak crash in Halifax, NC did not suffer serious injuries, but this is not the whole story.

While there were thankfully no casualties in this crash in which a passenger train hit a tractor trailer, some victims suffered more serious injuries than the media reports would lead us to believe.

Mary Kramer, 85, was the most seriously injured victim, according to an ABC report which noted she sustained injuries to her liver in the train crash. She lost part of her intestines and has yet to open her eyes, according to reports. My thoughts are with the family of Ms. Kramer who was re-locating to Raleigh from Delaware.

ABC reported how Ms. Kramer’s son Raymond is asking why a 164-foot long trailer was on the tracks for as long as 20 minutes and it does not appear that anyone called the number on the crossing which would have alerted CSX, the railroad that controlled the track.

“Did anyone call the number posted at the intersection when a 164-foot-long tractor trailer – with a North Carolina Highway Patrol escort – couldn’t get across the tracks?” asked Raymond.

This serious accident has raised alarming questions about the role played by the trucker and his police escort. Some witnesses reported the large tractor-trailer that was pulling an electrical distribution center – nearly 16 feet tall and 16 feet wide – was on the tracks for as long as 20 minutes. North Carolina Highway Patrol has disputed this claim, stating the tractor trailer was on the railroad for five minutes. We have to bear in mind the fact that highway patrol was providing the escort.

The ABC report suggested a call to the number on the crossing would have stopped the train. Transportation Secretary Tony Tata said it have prevented the Amtrak train from hitting the truck.

“Within a minute, they can contact any traffic on the rail and tell them to stop,” said Tata on Monday.

It’s highly disturbing to me as an experienced North Carolina railroad crossing accident attorney that apparently nobody made this call. Of course, if the number was called and the accident still occurred, someone at CSX – the railroad – might have dropped the ball.

Whatever went wrong before the third serious railroad crossing in two months, someone is liable for the serious injuries that Mary Kramer and other passengers suffered. If you have been injured in a railroad crash you should call Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers at 757.455.0077.