Deadly Railroad Crossings Challenge States

Stateline: On a rain-soaked evening in December, 70-year-old Phyllis LeBlanc and her husband, Steven, were ferrying home her 12-year-old twin grandsons from their birthday party at a Lafayette, Louisiana, trampoline park. Two of the twins’ friends were in the car with them.

LeBlanc was driving northeast on Louisiana Highway 88 when her Ford Taurus became sandwiched in traffic on a railroad crossing in New Iberia. Although the crossing has cross arms and caution lights, it is very close to the intersection of Louisiana highways 88 and 182 and trees block the view of drivers traveling north.

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