Deputy Recognized For Dedication
To Safety At County Railroad Crossings
THE FREE PRESS STANDARD
Thursday, May 1, 2008
A Carroll County Sheriff deputy has been recognized for his
efforts to identify and clean up hazardous railroad crossings.
Vicky Moore of the Angels on Track Foundation presented Depty
Ed Hale with a plaque last week in appreciation for his efforts
to clean up a crossing on SR 39 in Sherrodsville.
Hale said he was working in Sherrodsville
in July 2006 when a citizen told him of an unsafe grade crossing
in the village. “He
said it was an accident waiting to happen,” Hale said. “He
told me the Wheeling and Lake Erie crossing located at SR 39
and Crane Rd. had an area of grown up weeds and trees with
bushes making it hard to see down the rail line when stopped
at the white stop bar.”
Hale said he checked the situation out
for himself and discovered the vision from the white stop
bar as impaired. He reported
it to the railroad, located in Brewster. His investigation
of the situation produced information that the plants, trees
and brush were located on the Wheeling and Lake Erie right-of-way.
By the end of the same month, the railroad had cleaned up
the area and during August the project was completed.
Moore praised Hale for his efforts and
noted it was not part of his duties as a deputy to work to
alleviate the problem. “He
did this on his own time for the safety of the community.”
Angels on Track Foundation was founded
in 1997 by Vicky and Denny Moore of Mechanicstown. In
1995, their 16-year-old son and two other teens were killed
at a railroad crossing on Deerfield Ave. near the Stark-Wayne
County line when their vehicle was struck by a train.
The Moores said the view at the crossing
was hindered by brush so much so vehicles had to pull onto
the edge of the tracks to see if a train was approaching. They
said there were no crossing gates, lights or signals at the
location.
They used the $5.4 million from the
lawsuit settlement to establish the Foundation. Funds
are used to install gates and other safety devices at railroad
crossings in Ohio.
Hale resides near Harlem Springs with his
wife, Jessica, and young daughter.
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