27 July 2007
Man Hit by Train
Crowsnest Pass Alberta - A 28-year-old
Calgary man had to be airlifted to Calgary via STARS after he was hit following the Rum Runner Days festivities.
Breanne Feigel, a spokesperson with Canadian Pacific, says shortly before 4 a.m. on 22 Jul 2007, crews on a westbound
train between Blairmore and Coleman noticed a lone male lying on the tracks.
They applied the emergency brake system, but the train was unable to come to a complete stop in time to avoid hitting the man.
"It takes about 1,000 metres for a train to come to a complete stop. Crews identified they could see something on the track, and
they did their best (to stop)", explained Feigel.
Once the train came to a stop, the male was located under a grain car, conscious and breathing. Emergency crews were able to extricate
him from under the car, and he was taken to Crowsnest Pass Hospital, where STARS Air Ambulance was dispatched to take him to Foothills
Hospital in Calgary.
Feigel says CP wants people to know there are serious dangers that can come from trespassing on the tracks, and hopes the incident will
raise the public's awareness of train safety issues. "It's very traumatic for crews when something like this happens, and we're
thankful he was not killed. It's really serious to have people around the tracks."
RCMP are continuing their investigation.
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