Gauley Bridge motorcycle accidents

[kbasa]

Mike Bagby
Chicago IL
'96 R850R
dcby99@yahoo.com

.....and glad to help.

Have you considered registering?

 

[DonS]

This is Mr.Imre F. Szauter's of the AMA email to me today.
I look at this as a victory for motorcyclist everywhere.

Dear Mr. Shapton: ( DonS )

Here is an update on the situation with the dangerous railroad crossing on Route 60 near Gauley Bridge, WV.

I first spoke with the WVDOT Maintenance Engineer on Friday, July 25. I contacted him this morning for an update; in addition to his e-mail response (attached below), he called me a few minutes ago to share additional information.

He indicated the railroad crossing on-site July 25 meeting convinced all parties involved of the dangers posed by this crossing to motorcyclists. He told me he verbally committed to CSX that WVDOT would expedite funding to totally rehabilitate the crossing. The materials to complete the work are nearby (less than 100 miles away) and the signed contract was finalized on Monday, August 4th. He said the project should be complete within 90 to 120 days, although it could be completed within 60 days if everything goes well.


IÔÇÖll keep you posted with any additional updates I receive.

Sincerely,

Mr. Imre F. Szauter

Legislative Affairs Specialist

American Motorcyclist Association

Government Relations Department

13515 Yarmouth Drive

Pickerington, OH 43147

----------

E-mail received at 10:08 A.M. Friday, August 8, 2003 from the WVDOT Maintenance Engineer in charge of Route 60 Gauley Bridge railroad crossing situation:



We had a site meeting on the 25th of July with CSX and WVDOT, DOH. The DOH milled a portion of the asphalt away from the crossing and repaved the approaches to the crossing. CSX agreed to enter into an agreement with the DOH to replace the existing rubber crossing surface with a concrete surface with a brushed finish. It is the intention of the railroad and the DOT to have this work completed within the next 3 - 4 months. I have requested the funding for the surface as part of a betterment program which I handle and have a signed agreement from CSX already in place. The railroad is in the process of ordering all the necessary material to complete the upgrade and is keeping me abreast of their progress. This will be a total rehab of the crossing. Also the DOT is installing some additional signing for this crossing.



I will have to check with CSX to obtain a spoke person for your members to correspond with.



I will notify you prior to the start date of the upgrade.

 

[ted]

As promised, here is the letter sent by the Town of Gauley Bridge on July 9, 2003 (click for full-sized copy.)



Looks like the letter from the town (which was sent BTW with a thick stack of accident reports and the Charleston-Gazette Story) has yileded some results and I am happy to see the AMA is active in ensuring that the problem is fixed.

 

[kbasa]

Makes me want to write the mayor a thank you note.

That's government actually making something happen.

 

[johncolleton]

Great news, and well done. I'm still feeling sore, and my bike is still in the shop...and I'm just starting to find out about all the deductibles on various medical and vehicle insurances. But I'm glad that due to your efforts other riders won't go through the same thing due to that RR crossing.

John Colleton

 

[BRADFORDBENN]

And again, those who have accidents should immediately consult an Attorney (there are folks like Tom McGrath who specifically represent Motorcycle Riders.)

I agree with Ted about this 100%. I was involved in a car/bicycle crash when I was 16, I was on the bicycle. The case was settled out of court by my insurance company and I received more than the amount to cover my loss (a $700 bike) the hospital bills and the saved the rest for 10 years to make a downpayment on a house. Yes, the money helps.

However I also can tell you when it is going to rain by how my knees feel as a result of the accident. People can hear me walking down the hall by the popping of my left ankle on each step. By settling out of court, I have no more recourse for the pain that started when I was 17. If we had been a little more agressive, I would have seen an orthopedist that week and some of this future pain could have been dealt with, either surgically or monetarily. Attorneys who specialize in personal injury have experience in dealing with these cases as well as resources to help investigate items (much like SUPER TED) did.

I now have a list of what to do in case of accidents, all sorts, courtesy of my attorney. Sometimes even doing the small thing like faxing him that there was a mishap protects for the future. I found this part out when my wife got hit and run in her truck. The police did not want to take a statement, but the one we sent to my attorney that day was deemed admissable.

All of this aside, we all need to be careful out there. Money is cheap, people are expensive.

-=Brad

 

[jgr451]

"Money is cheap, people are expensive"


said Bradford Benn,in a moment of lucidity which proves for once and all that,while opposable thumbs are really good,attorneys(we call them lawyers here you all,eh) are really good people to know too,when something goes wrong.

I have told my friend Don S who was the first poster,and I tell the rest of you who were injured,to see a lawyer who works in West Virginia really soon.All this talk is good ventilation and provides some street proofing;but do not overlook that this is not the first time there have been serious problems at that crossing.

All it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing(but talk).

From Lawyer,Esq. Going rallying in the mountains this week,gbw and the creek don't rise.

 

[ted]

Just talked with the good folks in the Town of Gauley Bridge - the Motorcycle-specific warning signs went up at the crossing last Friday (but unfortunately the town responded to two more bikes down on Sunday.)

This can't happen soon enough...

 

[Beemerdude]

I have a question for those of you who have posted on this forum. My wife and I are AMA Field Reps in Iowa.
Do you folks mind if I print some of these replies out and use them at AMA membership booths?

Sometimes people don't believe some of the things that can be done by a strong organization with knowledegable members.

 

[Fred Jernigan]

AMA

Sounds good to me. Good luck with it.

 

[kbasa]

You can print mine, but you probably want to get permission from folks to print theirs.

 

[Beemerdude]

Thanks Fred and KBASA. I'm going to hold out a few more days before doing print outs in hopes of getting some more permissions. Thanks Again.

Randy and Lois Randall AMA Ambassador #778

 

[lancew]

Randy,

I'm not a lawyer, but this is a public forum (no password needed to view). I think anything posted here would probably be okay to use, as long as you black out personal info like names, screen names, phone numbers, and other specifics. After all, anybody posting ALREADY knows that it's being read by a bunch of biker whackos anyhow... it's a great case study in problem resolution, IMHO, and has been a really useful lesson as it unfolded.

just my .02, keep up the good work

 

[Beemerdude]

Thanks to all who have posted in this forum. My wife and I have a couple more events in September and October that these will be good at.

Ride Safe, but enjoy!
Randy

 

[DonS]

I have been away from this forum for a bit. Work and family have had their demands. I am drawn back by getting my MOA news yesterday and finding a letter in "Rider-to-rider" from two of the fine Canadian riders who helped my wife and I get upright. I would encourage all to read Greg and Mike's note and respond to Greg.
These guys were great. Mike was the first face we saw as we scrambled to the side of the road. He helped pick up broken parts and made sure we didn't need an ambulance. He and his friends got us back to Charleston. He and his pals were the essence of the brotherhood of motorcyclist and we were honored to have them come to our aid. Don

 

[39520]

I wrote to my friend, WV state Senator Larry Rowe, concerning the railroad crossing. He consulted with the highway people and they responded, in part, with this:

They have installed special warning signs supplemented by plaques notifying cyclists that the crossing is slippery when wet. They milled the surface and repaired it to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Steve

 

[beemerron]

Glad to read that WVDOT completed it's portion of the repairs.
Now let's if the Railroad keeps to it's timetable, as it seldom does.

 

[Unregistered]

OK, a short bit of research has produced some startling results.

The Crossing Conundrum

There is ample evidence that the crossing in question is hazardous to motorcycles. The town of Gauley Bridge has reported 17 motorcycle accidents from June 4, 2001 to July 12, 2003 - of note, 13 of the 17 accidents noted rainy weather, and further there has been not *a single* report of a car accident at the crossing over that same period. Of further note, the Town only reports accidents involving ambulance transport and/or where the motorcycle was so damaged to require towing. A town official estimates "at least twice as many [unreported] motorcycle accidents" over the same period. The West Virginia State Police have reported an additional 6 motorcycle accidents from 2002 to current, and the County Police have reported two additional for this current year.

The Problem

CSX Railroad is responsible for putting down the tracks over the road, and West Virginia Department of Highways (DoH) is responsible for building the road around/over the tracks. The Town of Gauley Bridge has been trying to have the crossing redesigned since 1995 and in early July of this year sent a detailed letter to DoH outlining the particular hazards to Motorcyclists of the crossing and requesting immediate repair or redesign (copy of letter on the way and will be reproduced once received.) The Charleston Gazette ran a lengthy story on July 27, 2003 titled "Motorcyclists Beware U.S. 60 Curve, Tracks, Rain Cause Wrecks" outlining many of the concerns cited in the letter.

The problem is that neither CSX nor DoH will take responsibility for the hazardous crossing, each pointing to the other as the one responsible for the hazardous condition and responsible for redesigning or making the crossing safe. According to a Gauley Bridge Town Official, the problem seems to be the rubber surrounding the tracks and the sharp curve over those pads ÔÇô it becomes "incredibly slick" during rain, a hazardous condition that could be quickly lessened by replacing the rubber with concrete (something the town has apparently been unsuccessfully pleading with DoH to do since 1995.) In 2001 a motorcyclist who became a quadriplegic as a result of an accident at the crossing sued DoH but the suit was apparently (and unfortunately) settled before going to trial.

Currently

The Town of Gauley Bridge is doing everything they can to urge CSX and DoH to settle their differences and redesign the crossing. The previously mentioned letter will hopefully spur some action, and I believe the time is ripe for a national, multi-brand organization (i.e. the AMA) to begin the process of bringing nationwide attention to this unique situation and working hard within the West Virginia Legislature and GovernorÔÇÖs Office to immediately repair or replace this intersection. Should the AMA not hop on this I would be more than happy to coordinate such a campaign within the BMW MOA.

For those who have had accidents at this crossing I would urge you to consult an Attorney with this information and explore legal remedies.

Someone became paralyzed several years ago and the problem still wasn't corrected!? That's an outrage. It's about time someone doused the rubber with gasoline and burned it up.

 

[Unregistered]

Here's an update on the situation I recenlty received, can any of you follow up and see what's been done there?

Dear Dr. Bagby:

On Monday, December 1 I e-mailed the West Virginia Department of Transportation District 9 Maintenance Engineer regarding the status of the railroad crossing on Route 60 near Gauley Bridge. I asked him for a status update on the crossing; his reply was:

"The new surface has been installed."

Although I do not have photographs of the reconstructed crossing, an earlier e-mail from the Maintenance Engineer indicated the rubberized surface would be replaced with a concrete/asphalt surface, providing for better traction for motorcyclists crossing this otherwise dangerous set of tracks.

Perhaps a local motorcyclist will be able to take a few photos to provide proof of the new surface. This should be of interest to a number of motorcyclists who attended the rally in West Virginia this summer and complained about the Route 60 railroad crossing.

Thanks for your interest in safety. I wish you a safe and enjoyable 2004 riding season.

Best regards,

Mr. Imre F. Szauter
Legislative Affairs Specialist
Government Relations Department
614-856-1900 ext. 1125
iszauter@ama-cycle.org

American Motorcyclist Association
13515 Yarmouth Drive
Pickerington, OH 43147-8214