Man Identified in Fatal Train Accident

We now know the name of the man killed by a train in downtown Fargo.
 
Police say 61-year-old Wendell Decoteau of Fargo was pronounced dead at the scene.

It’s not the only death we’ve had by train in the Red River Valley this year.
 
“Stop, look both ways, make sure there’s no train coming, and proceed when safe,” Gayle Fiks from Winnipeg says.
 
For some, it’s straight forward.

The same rules we were taught when crossing the street as children is no different on the railroad.

But a tragedy can strike when we least expect.

After an eastbound train cleared the intersection early Sunday morning, Decoteau began crossing the tracks right as a westbound train started crossing.
 
“Unfortunately, even at 12 miles per hour or even ten miles an hour, people aren’t likely doing to survive that type of an impact,” Deputy Chief Joe Anderson of the Fargo Police Department says.
 
Police say the westbound train started honking and breaking as soon as the conductor saw Mr. Decoteau, but the BNSF tells us with as much as trains weigh, it takes a lot of time and distance before they can come to a complete stop.
 
“Trains cannot stop quickly, it’s simple physics. A typical freight train traveling at 55 miles per hour would need more than a mile to stop. There were gates and lights at that crossing and they were activated,” BNSF Public Affairs Amy McBeth says.

And sometimes, when people aren’t driving, people don’t remember to check.
 
“I guess I don’t really check, if I don’t hear a train or anything, I guess I just kinda walk by, unless I see a car,” Shawnia Klug of West Fargo says.
 
But whether the cross arms are down or not, they say you should always be aware of your surroundings.
 
“You need to be able to anticipate a train moving in either direction on any track at any time,” McBeth says.
 
“Don’t try to step around the arms before they go up. Be patient, it’s not worth risking your life to get from one side of the street to the other,” Anderson says.
 
So no matter how much of a hurry you’re in, police say it’s never a good idea to outrun a train.
 
“There have been way too many train accidents. I typically slow down and make sure that its stopping, and if it goes, I stop way back because there have been way too many accidents with cars and trains,” Klug says.
 
So remember to stay patient, stay safe.
 
BNSF says you should only cross railroads at designated crosswalks.

They warn modern trains are much quieter.