Campaign For Safer Railroad Crossings Grows After Man Loses Legs

DENVER (CBS4)- Some people are demanding a safer railroad crossing in north Denver where a man lost his legs.

The accident happened Tuesday at 47th and York where the tracks and the trains border a neighborhood. Residents told CBS4 that children cross those tracks on the way to school and even play on the tracks.

That kind of behavior-- people crossing the tracks wherever they happen to approach-- are what the activists are hoping to stop. They want to make the point that in order to stay safe, you need to walk to a marked crossing and cross there.

A woman at the crossing witnessed Tuesday's accident. She said everyone needs to know just how dangerous the situation is.

"You have to be patient when it comes to these trains because you can lose your life. You can lose your life in 2-3 seconds playing on the train tracks. Life is too precious to not be patient. Patience is a virtue. And I need everybody to know that," said witness Lanae Hargrove.

Denver City Councilwoman Judy Montero represents that neighborhood. She said another fence will be constructed near the tracks to keep people from crossing but people still need to be careful and watch out for approaching trains.

Witnesses say the man was carrying a box and walked across the tracks Tuesday evening. They say he dropped the box near a parked train, stopped to collect his things and never noticed that the train started moving.

"The train moved and we yelled 'Dude the train's moving' and he stared moving and he almost made it all the way off the tracks but it got his calf and it just ran his legs over," said witness Jose Martinez.

"We were shocked. I started crying. I couldn't believe my eyes," Martinez said.