Those gates are notorius for coming down when no train is nearby... I've gone around them many times. Also they'll drop several minutes before a train arrives... you'll sit there for a while and finally get frustrated. Just about the time you decide to go around the train will finally appear. Longterm, considering 2 schools nearby, is to bridge that crossing. Short term is do install double gates... a right and left crossing bar on each side of the tracks (4 total) that will keep anyone from going around.

We might not know why this happened, why he went around the gate. But, knowing him at FUMC and seeing him every Sunday will be a big loss.

Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Mr. Brumfield. Apparently he was very active in the community—American Legion, Lions and Retired Men's Club, according to the Tribune. http://www.daily-tribune.com/view/full_story/16990078/article-Active-community-member-dies-in-train-accident?instance=main_article

Ed Brumfield was a very dear person. Bless him and his family during this difficult time.

This paper get paid for the jury tampering """Trying To Beat Train""" BS statement? How do you know what the dead man was trying?
The cops get paid for their jury tampering """went around gates""" statement? What proof would they have? Ohhhh a little railroad buddy ran up and whispered it in the cops ear. How pathetic --May the railroads and their junk signal equipment be stuck on a one way trip ti hell.

I didn't like hearing that headline statement either. I have been told that you can sit at that section forever with no train. And that the view is not very good at this stop. And another train is always parked nearby blocking the distance of the view. Next time I cross I will definitely pay attention. No one knows why this happened. From what I hear this crossing needs to be looked at seriously. My gosh, we have a new high school out there with teenage drivers. Please push for the railroad to look into this. I doubt he was in a big hurry to race the train. He probably just waited forever. I pray for him and his family, he was a wonderful person to know and always a smile on his face;) Miss you Mr. Ed.

BP, your statement of a one way trip to hell is ridiculous. This was a terrible accident. I have no idea why this gentleman went around the crossing gates, but I can guarantee you the true victim of this is the locomotive engineer. He was working hard, doing his job, and a bad decision by a motorist will haunt his life forever. Grade crossings are ALL dangerous, and a car is no match for a train. Dawn, EVERTIME you cross a track you should be careful. In many cases today, communities are pushing for "quite zones" where the train crew is not allowed to blow their horns. I ask everyone to STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN before you cross a railroad track.

RR grade crossings are very dangerous places. Sometimes the gates come down for no reason. Other times, the gates come down far too early. Most times, they come down when designed. We will never know for certain what caused this gentleman to go around the gates, if that is what happened. What we do know is that whether the gates are down or not, you had better stop, look both ways and actively listen. The train cannot stop in time to save anyone's life. RIP

Good comment Bill, when someone makes a bad decision , it seems some people what to blame someone else.. People can't be taken care of from the cradle to the grave. We all have to make decisions every day. Don't blame the railroad for this, a bad decision was made and it is terrible for all.

I remember being on a little bitty yard engine at 25 MPH with nothing attached when the engineer "shot the air" to stop us. It still took over 600 feet. Imagine a million ton coal train now. I know you know. I wish everyone did

You are correct Bill. And I will say it again, the locomotive engineer is probably the one hurting the most because of this bad decision, I know several engineers that have accidentally hit vehicles and a death occurred. None of then are over it, and they did absolutely nothing wrong. Quite honestly, the question is not if an engineer will hit a car, It;s when he will hit one, And the vast majority of the time it is because a motorist made a bad decision. People should realize that one set of trucks on a locomotive weighs more than a car. .

One of my best friend's father was a train engineer. Truly one of the nicest men you could ever meet and I enjoyed sitting with him for hours and looking at pictures he had taken over the years. He was very close to retirement when a car containing five teenagers attempted to cross in front of him. All five of those teenagers perished. My friend's father committed suicide about seven months later. It wasn't his fault, but he couldn't live with himself.

Having said that, I've been stuck at those tracks for almost twenty minutes before with no train in sight. I've seen a ton of people go around successfully and the arms magically rise with no train going past at all. I've also seen them come down when the train is practically right on top of the crossing. They DO malfunction. I've seen it, sat through it, and contemplated going around it myself.