February 5, 2007

2 CG brothers killed, 3 injured

       Two brothers, both students at Center Grove schools, died after the vehicle they were riding in was struck by a train Saturday.  Jacob Findley, 12, and Travis Findley, 9, suffered fatal injuries in an accident on Stones Crossing Road near State Road 135 about 5 p.m.  Three other people who were riding in the vehicle remained hospitalized Sunday with serious injuries.  Jacob was in seventh grade at Center Grove Middle School Central; Travis was a third-grader at Sugar Grove Elementary.  Counselors will be at the schools today to help students cope with the loss.  The Findley brothers were riding in a sport utility vehicle with their friend, Zachary Alexander, 9, and his parents, Ted and Tina Alexander. Both families live in the Center Grove area. Zachary Alexander attends West Grove Elementary School.

         Neighbors called the crossing dangerous and worry about teen drivers who cross it every day on their way to and from Center Grove High School.  Sheriff Terry McLaughlin said he likely will ask for changes at the crossing because of the accident but doesn't know what the changes will be.  Emergency workers said the vehicle was so heavily damaged they were unsure what type of vehicle it was when they arrived. The top of the vehicle had to be cut off to remove the people inside, which took about 45 minutes.  Witness statements conflicted on whether the driver of the vehicle, Ted Alexander, 60, stopped before crossing the tracks. The crossing is marked with a stop sign, but no crossing arms or flashing lights.  Neighbors said motorists rarely stop at the crossing where at least one train comes through daily. But some wondered if flashing lights would make a difference for drivers who don't pay attention to the crossing.  Crossing the intersection can be dangerous for motorists who do not stop because they may not be able to see an oncoming train, police said.  Motorists who didn't come to a full stop at the tracks Sunday got a ticket and a lecture from sheriff's deputies, who came to the intersection to warn drivers about the danger of not stopping before crossing. A makeshift memorial, with bouquets of flowers and a few cards, reminded drivers of the accident.

         The Alexanders' vehicle was eastbound on Stones Crossing Road and was struck at the crossing about a half-mile west of State Road 135.  The train hit the vehicle on the passenger side and sent it airborne. The vehicle landed on the driver's side in a ditch near the tracks, emergency workers said.  The train was northbound, about a mile long and hauling about 50 cars of coal.  The conductor was unsure of the train's speed, but typically a train carrying that size load would be going between 20 and 25 mph. The train had little damage, Johnson County Sheriff's Maj. Randy Werden said.  Sheriff's deputies are investigating the accident.  Witnesses said that the vehicle slowed before crossing the tracks and that the car stopped and then went onto the tracks. Ted Alexander could not remember any details about the accident when deputies interviewed him Saturday, Werden said.  The train conductor told police the vehicle approached at a high rate of speed and stopped. Part of the vehicle was already on the tracks, and then the vehicle continued forward, according to police reports.  The train struck the vehicle once and then again when the vehicle was airborne, the conductor told police. The conductor said he was not able to stop when he saw the vehicle, according to reports.  Motorists who do not come to a full stop at the stop sign but slow before the crossing might not be able to see an oncoming train, authorities said.  Houses line the sides of the tracks. The stop sign is in a position where motorists can see down the tracks. But if motorists don't stop there, they might not be able to see an approaching train, Werden said.  At least one train comes through the crossing every day. Motorists rarely stop before crossing, said Sandra "Diane" Sutliff, who lives just west of the crossing.  She wonders if installing flashing lights would be beneficial since people likely would still ignore them, she said.  Nine out of 10 cars roll through the intersection without making a complete stop, said Mary Nichols, whose house is just east of the tracks.  Nichols, who has lived in her home for 18 years, said the train Saturday was traveling a different direction than most trains, which usually are southbound. She wonders if the driver didn't look that direction, expecting the train to come from the other way.  The tracks have always been a concern, especially when her daughter would leave for swimming practice at Center Grove High School at 5 a.m., she said.  Nichols grew used to listening for the train whistle and then breathing a sigh of relief, knowing her children had made it across the tracks safely, she said.  Vehicles back up at the tracks every day just after 3 p.m. when classes end at the high school, said Susan Davis, who lives on the west side of the tracks.  The crossing is 1.5 miles east of Center Grove High School.  Davis continually tells her children to be careful when crossing the tracks and to turn down their music, come to a full stop and look in both directions for an approaching train, she said.  "A lot of people think there's nothing coming," she said.  Davis worries because she doesn't always hear the train whistle.  The conductor told police he blew his whistle as he approached the tracks Saturday because he saw vehicles crossing in front of him.  Davis wants lights and crossing arms installed. At the least, she'd like to see a larger sign and some flashing lights. And she would like all rail crossings in the area to be marked the same, she said.At some roads, such as Smith Valley Road, there are flashing lights. At others, such as Stones Crossing and Olive Branch roads, there are only stop signs, she said.  "Anyone who lives here knows you stop there, but take someone who doesn't ...," she said.  Police are unsure where the vehicle was traveling Sunday.

         Ted Alexander was in fair condition at Wishard Memorial Hospital in Indianapolis on Sunday.  Tina Alexander, 41, and Zachary Alexander, 9, were taken to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Both were listed in critical and stable condition Sunday.  The train conductor, Mark S. Brown, 51, Bloomfield, was treated for chest pain at Morgan Hospital and Medical Center in Martinsville. His condition was not available Sunday morning.  Police are unsure if the passengers were wearing seat belts. No one was ejected from the vehicle, Werden said.  All three boys were in the middle seat of the vehicle. The rear seat was empty.  Jacob and Travis Findley were sitting on the driver and passenger sides and Zachary Alexander was in the middle.  Jacob Findley died soon after the accident from his injuries. His brother, Travis, suffered brain injuries and died later that night.  See a related story HERE.  (Reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal)

           
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