A proclamation declaring National Rail Safety Week was approved at the Sept. 3 Randolph County Board of Commissioners meeting.
The proclamation, while it had been slated for the commissioners’ approval some time ago, came shortly after the tragic death of Lillian Vandeford, as well as the recent visit of the Union Pacific Big Boy steam engine to the area.
“It goes without saying, our hearts go out to the family of the high school student killed recently in Prairie du Rocher that was going through a crossing and killed by a train,” stated County Board Chairman Marc Kiehna when discussing the topic. “We are so sorry it happened.”
National Rail Safety Week is Sept. 20-26, and the goal of this week is to educate and inform the public about rail safety. The proclamation added that the week is for “Reminding the public that railroad right of ways are private property, enhancing public awareness of the danger associated with highway rail grade crossings, ensuring pedestrians and motorists are looking and listening while near railways, and obeying established traffic laws will reduce the number of fatalities and injuries.”
For more from the Board of Commissioners meeting, please see this week’s print edition.