Upgrade planned at deadly crossing

POST FALLS — Reeling from the devastation of Tuesday's car-train collision that killed a 15-year-old girl, Jesse Weeks explored improvements planned for that crossing.

What the Coeur d'Alene man, whose two brothers attend Post Falls schools, learned from the Idaho Transportation Department is that $900,000 worth of signals and crossing arms are planned to be installed this summer.

"In my opinion, summer is not soon enough," he said. "There's been too many close calls there."

There are only stop and railroad crossing signs at the intersection now.

Weeks said he used to regularly cross the intersection on Spokane Street south of Prairie Avenue in Post Falls while working on the Rathdrum Prairie. He recalls multiple accidents there, not to mention some personal close calls.

The crossing is where Post Falls High student Mikelli Villaseñor died on Tuesday morning when the car she was in was struck by a train. Classmate Jacob Brockus, 17, who was driving, remained in fair condition at Kootenai Health on Wednesday.

Weeks said the accident hit close to home not only because he regularly crossed the intersection, but his younger brothers were also en route to school events that morning. One of them was headed to the North Idaho College Jazz Festival — the same event Brockus and Villaseñor were headed toward.

Weeks said he's trying to get his head wrapped around the tragedy.

"In a split second, a life was taken far too soon and a driver will be changed forever," he said. "I believe the budget (for improving problem intersections) is too thin, and I wish more could be done. Something should've been done years ago. My heart goes out to the families."

Police said a witness behind the car Brockus was driving saw the Chevy Malibu stop at the stop sign before proceeding and being struck by the train. The accident occurred around 6 a.m. so it was dark outside.

Weeks said he can see how the accident occurred "being a young, inexperienced driver tired at 6 a.m."

"A lot of students have a lot going on," he said. "It was early morning and they were just looking to go have some fun."

Justin Jacobs, Union Pacific Railroad spokesman, said the train was traveling 39 mph during the time of the collision. Between five and 10 trains travel on the tracks each day, depending on customer needs.

Post Falls Mayor Ron Jacobson said the city has fielded calls of concern about the intersection, but he said the railroad crossing is not in the city's jurisdiction. At Tuesday night's City Council meeting, Jacobson did instruct staff to write ITD and the UP a letter encouraging the improvements be expedited.

"We understand the residents' frustration," he said. "Our sympathy goes out to not only the victims and their families, but the first responders."

According to the Federal Railroad Association, the Spokane Street railroad crossing has had six vehicle-train accidents since 1986, including three since 2014. Visibility and a roadway prone to ice problems have been cited as issues at the intersection from residents.

Of the six incidents, only details from the most recent three were included in the FRA reports, including Tuesday's fatality and two non-injury collisions in 2014 and 2016.

This crossing has been on the ITD's radar, said ITD Engineer Justin Wuest.

The ITD District I office, which monitors 370 railroad crossings in Idaho's five northern counties, has considered the FRA data which suggests this crossing is more problematic than others.

Wuest said the funding for such improvement projects is limited. The state has funding to improve only two or three crossings in the district per year.

Wuest said engineers from trains even log "near-misses" with cars, which are also reported to the FRA. A report of each crossing is updated every 120 days. During the last reporting cycle of August to November 2016, there were six "near-misses" on the Spokane Street crossing.

"We typically don't see a lot of crashes, more near-misses," Wuest said "If someone is trying to beat the train and an engineer sees it, they'll get an unsafe motorist report from (Union Pacific)."

ITD, not the railroads, determines where active warning signals are placed. The process is governed by a federal program since crossing signals are defined by the Federal Highway Administration as highway control devices, not railroad signals.

Once a state determines which crossings are to be upgraded, it contacts the railroad, which meets with state and local representatives on site to review the project.