You Probably Shouldn't Take Your Dogs For A Walk On Railroad Tracks

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Women Walking Dogs On Railroad Tracks Struck By Train

Brookston, Indiana - Two women were struck and killed by an Amtrak train while walking their dogs along the railroad track, officials said.

Bette Lou May, 58, and her daughter Brianne May, 28, were killed instantly Saturday, said White County Chief Deputy Coroner Pat Jones. The women were from Tully, N.Y.

The accident occurred about 10 a.m. about 13 miles north of Lafayette, at Brookston, where the women were visiting Bette Lou May's mother.

The Amtrak Cardinal carrying 220 passengers was en route from New York to Chicago, said Marc Magliari, a spokesman for Amtrak in Chicago. The exact speed of the train will not be known until officials can analyze its data recorder, but the railroad speed limit in Brookston is 50 mph, he said.

The train's engineer told investigators he tried to stop and blew the horn to get the women's attention, but they froze when they saw the oncoming train, said Brookston-Prairie Township Fire Chief Willis Johnson. The dogs also were killed.

There was no damage to the train, which was delayed nearly five hours before continuing on to Chicago.

The CSX Corp. property where the women were walking their dogs was not near a railroad crossing, Magliari said.

''Unfortunately, when people trespass on railroad property, they're doing something that is very dangerous,'' Magliari said.

''Just as people shouldn't walk on I-65, they shouldn't walk on train tracks. Cars and trucks can swerve, but trains cannot.''