Police adding railroad crossing patrols

The Kent Police Department is hoping an added emphasis on railroad crossing will keep local drivers, cyclists and pedestrians from being hit by a train, as was the case in May when a bicyclist was hit and killed
The department has teamed up with the Washington State Patrol, Union Pacific Railroad police and King County Transit to add more patrols in the downtown Kent area. The beefed up presence means there will be a crackdown on people illegally crossing the tracks.
The recent emphasis has already made a mark, with officers handing out 26 tickets for crosswalk violations. Officers also nabbed two suspected drunk drivers and cited two people for marijuana possession.
“Rail crossings are dangerous locations. If hit by a train, the train usually wins,” Kent PD officer Mike Schanbacher said in a news release.
That was the case on May 10 when a 47-year-old bicyclist was hit by a passenger train when he peddled around the traffic-control gates and attempted to cross View full post on “drunk” News