Car on Tracks at Roaring Brook Road Backs Up through Break-away Gate

A car that was inside a Chappaqua grade crossing when the signal gate came down today backed up, breaking through the gate, as local, county and MTA police converged on the scene.

When the Police Department received a call at 10:50 a.m. reporting a vehicle stuck on the Harlem Line tracks at Roaring Brook Road, the desk officer contacted MTA to halt any trains and have the MTA Police dispatched, said New Castle Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein.

Both New Castle and Westchester County police departments responded to the scene, he said.

The driver found herself under the gate when it came down. She backed up and the gate broke off. The incident was turned over to MTA Police.

“At Monday’s press conference, Congressman Maloney and Congresswoman Lowey reminded us that these gates are meant to break away,” Greenstein said. ”Who knows, they might have saved a life today! Today’s incident reinforces the need to eliminate these on grade railroad crossings. We will continue to do everything we can to prevent another tragedy from happening, including educating the public on railroad crossing safety.

“The Roaring Brook Road grade crossing is unique because it is tied into a ramp interchange with the Saw Mill River Parkway and lies less than 1/2 mile from the Horace Greeley High School in the Chappaqua Central School District. It is clear that improvements to the Roaring Brook Road grade crossing and Saw Mill River parkway interchange are long overdue and urgently needed to prevent another tragedy from occurring.”

According to New Castle Police Department records, over the past 10 years, problems with warning gates at the Roaring Brook Road grade crossing were reported 14 times and numerous car accidents have occurred at this location. In addition, Westchester County records indicate that 490 accidents have occurred at that interchange since 2006.

This past Monday Congresswoman Nita Lowey and Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney held a press conference at the same location stating their commitment to improving safety at rail crossings.

“We’re going to make these kinds of crossings less common, and in the meantime I want to ensure that drivers know what to do and, more importantly, what not to do when they approach a crossing,” Lowey said.

RELATED:

• Officials Call for Railroad Crossing Safety Improvements
• Feds Call on Local Cops to Police Railroad Grade Crossings
• MTA: Car Struck by Train After Driver Ignored Warning Signals
• National Transportation Safety Board Issues Interim Report on Harlem Line Tragedy
• Letter to the Editor: Harlem Line Tragedy Highlights Work of Westchester Medical Center
• New Castle Asks for Overpass at Roaring Brook Grade Crossing
• Politicians, Safety Group Will Call Monday for Railroad Crossing Safety Improvements
• Schumer, Blumenthal to Introduce Grade Crossing Safety Bill
• Harlem Line Tragedy: The Front Car Filled with Smoke
• Harlem Line Tragedy: Safety Systems at Crossing Were Working, Investigators Say
• Deadly Train Crash Puts the Spotlight on Metro-North’s Recent Safety Record -- Again

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