Teenagers injured in railroad crossing crash
RATHDRUM — A pair of teens were seriously injured Thursday afternoon when the vehicle they were traveling in collided with a train on the Rathdrum Prairie.
Austin C. Wiseman, 18, of Hayden is believed to have been driving the silver Chevy Trailblazer when it was struck while crossing the railroad tracks at north Huetter Road and Lancaster Avenue. The passenger, a 15-year-old girl, is believed to be from Coeur d’Alene.
One of the teens had to be extricated from the vehicle by emergency personnel, reported KCSO Detective Dennis Stinebaugh. The injured were transported to Kootenai Health, where Wiseman was in critical condition as of Thursday night.
The crash comes just a day after a multi-agency effort to raise awareness about railroad crossing safety and the dangers motorists face if they attempt to beat trains at crossings.
Travis Campbell, state coordinator for Idaho Operation Lifesaver, an organization that works to raise awareness about railroad crossing safety, was at the scene of Thursday’s crash, along with members of the Kootenai County fatal traffic team and employees of Union Pacific Railroad. He was visibly shaken.
“I am deeply saddened by these events. I go all around the state to educate people, and I am very passionate about doing everything we can to prevent these accidents,” Campbell said. “It’s hard for me not to be deeply affected and emotional when this happens.”