BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A Buffalo woman's death is prompting new questions about railroad safety in our area.
Police say 47-year-old Tyrina Mozee's body was found on the train tracks on Gatchell Street last month. Investigators say she had been run over by a train with no engineer on board.
We're told these trains are operated remotely. 7 News Lia Lando spoke with The Vice President of the the locomotive union who is working hard trying to get drivers back on the train in hopes of preventing more tragedies.
"There is no longer a locomotive engineer in there," explains James Louis who has worked in the railroad industry for 48 years.
He tells 7 News most of the CSX trains operating in our area do not have drivers on board.
"As you can see as this one goes by there is nobody there. They are controlled by a person that's on the ground that is up a quarter mile away who controls it with a remote control box," says Louis.
He says there are no sensors or cameras on the train so the person operating the remote wouldn't know if someone was on the tracks.
Louis says the tracks running through Buffalo neighborhoods carry everything from mixed freight to hazardous chemicals. We met him near the tracks near Fay Street.
"This area's never been fenced in my career out here at all," says Louis. "It's sad because this is kind of their playground, their backyard here."
You may recall in July of last year an 8-year-old boy lost his leg after being hit by a train while playing near his home on Wick Street.
On his GoFundMe page, his family explains, "At the end of our street there is a wide opening that leads to the train tracks. There is no signage and no barrier."
Louis says they have been advocating for increased rail safety and now Mozee's family is fighting for the same thing after their loved one was found dead on the tracks. Her aunt, Arnette Booker, is demanding changes.
"Can we imagine what kind of problems a remote control train could cause in such a large residential community with children playing? It was late at night. Look at this. It's open. The fence is broke. There's no signs here," says Booker.
Louis says he has been advocating at the federal level to get engineers back on the trains. He says he will continue to fight until changes are made.
CSX provided the following statement to 7 News on Wednesday:
"At CSX, safety is a way of life. We want everyone to return home to their families safely – whether they work for us or live in the communities we serve. CSX operates in some of the most densely populated areas east of the Mississippi River and many communities have had significant development adjacent to our tracks. We invest heavily in public safety education and awareness through our decade’s long partnership with Operation Lifesaver [oli.org]. The railroad industry and its many collaborating stakeholders partake in Rail Safety Week [jacksonville.com], which aims to help the public make safe decisions around tracks and trains. Although Rail Safety Week occurs in September, CSX and those working within the rail industry know that we focus on rail safety every single day, all year long.
Rail safety is of particular importance for the state of New York. In 2022, according to the Federal Railroad Administration’s data for total casualties, New York had the fourth-highest rate of casualties due to trespassing [oli.org] in the United States. These incidents leave a lasting mark on the communities they impact. They’re also — through education and enforcement — preventable.
This was an unfortunate tragedy, and our sincere thoughts are with this family. This incident must serve as a reminder of the very real dangers of trespassing on railroad tracks."
