Idiots+Cell phones =screwed commuters

Also from the MC News Dispatch

Truck crashes into train

By Stan Maddux For The News-Dispatch

A Michigan City area woman and her 2-year-old daughter escaped serious injury after colliding with a fast moving South Shore Railroad train near Michigan City on Sunday afternoon.

Just before 2 p.m., Lauren Whitaker was driving a 1987 Ford Ranger pickup truck on County Road 400 West in Springfield Township when her cell phone rang, according to LaPorte County police.

Whitaker, 22, told investigators she looked down to pick up the phone, but dropped it on the floor. She said she had no idea a train was coming, and as she looked for her cell phone, drove into the side of the first car on the eastbound train carrying 70 passengers, police said.

Officers were told by the train's conductor that the train was traveling at 60 mph. There are no gates at the crossing, which is marked by stop signs and signs warning of the potential for high speed trains, police said.

The train came to a stop about a quarter mile east of the crossing while the truck came to rest on the north side of the tracks with severe front end damage.

Whitaker, 6248 N. County Road 400 West, was transported to St. Anthony Memorial with an apparent minor head injury, police said. Her daughter, Emma Breit, did not appear hurt. Police said the girl was in a child restraint seat.

Two passengers on the train, Adonis Woods, 29, and his daughter, Meekl Jones, 10, both of South Bend, each complained of pain, according to police.

Police said Whitaker was cited for driving with a suspended license.

Despite extensive damage to the lead car, the train returned to the rail yard in Michigan City where the passengers boarded another eastbound train.

However, that train wasn't able to proceed to South Bend until the accident scene was cleared and damage to the track fixed about two hours later, said John Parsons, spokesman for the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which operates the railroad.

“Obviously, service was interrupted because of the accident,” Parsons said.