On December 29, 1992 I was staying at home (rather than at my apartment in Rexburg where I went to college) during Christmas vacation. It had been a particularly snowy winter. This day it was really coming down and the wind was blowing hard. I was scheduled to work in Rexburg--about a 20 minute drive. I considered calling in, claiming I couldnt get thru on the roads, but I worked as a nursing assistant at a nursing home and I knew what it was like to work short. I took my moms car because my dad had mine at the tire store getting me new snow tires. Her car had been parked in the garage, but the windows were covered in snow almost before I left the driveway. I had the windshield wipers, heater, and radio going full blast. As I approached the railroad tracks, something Id done a hundred times, a train was the last thing on my mind. I had never seen a train cross there. There wasnt a stop sign (tho there is now), crossing bars, lights or anything. However, to get to the tracks, you have to go up a slight hill and on the other side is a four lane highway that I didnt want to go sliding into. So, due to the wind, snow, drifts piled on the side of the road (my California friends may not understand that part :), the heater and radio running full blast, I didnt see or hear the train coming. I can almost picture the passenger side window going black, but I have no memory of the trains impact or the car being pushed down the tracks about a quarter mile. More soon...
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 23:56:36 +0000
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