advertisement

---

On Wednesday, police officers from Union Pacific Railroad, the city of Vinita, Okla., Craig County and Oklahoma Highway Patrol issued nine citations to motorists for grade crossing violations as part of an Officer on the Train program.

A UP task force chose Vinita for the one-day operation because of the number of motorists who disobey warning devices at area crossings. In 2005, 64 crossing collisions occurred statewide, causing six fatalities and 31 injuries; a year earlier, Oklahoma recorded 58 crossing collisions causing nine deaths and 30 injuries.

Part of Operation Lifesaver Inc.’s safety programs, Officer on a Train enables police officers to ride on trains and observe motorists’ behavior at crossings. If a violation is observed, the officer radios another policeman positioned near the crossing who issues a citation.