The Mishawaka Police Department is working with Norfolk Southern Railway Police Department to patrol local railroad crossings Wednesday, August 5.
Five pedestrians walking on railroad tracks were killed by trains in St. Joseph County since May.
Then, a parent and four small children were stopped by Mishawaka police after they were found walking on railroad tracks in Mishawaka on July 17, according to a news release from Lt. Tim Williams with the Mishawaka Police Department. Trespassing on the railroad tracks is a violation of federal law.
- RELATED: Railroad accidents highlight risks of pedestrians on tracks, June 27, 2015
The parent was issued a warning citation and told not to cross or walk on the railroad tracks between the crossings.
“The loss of one life is too many,” Williams in a statement. “Our community has tragically lost five lives that should not have been lost. We don’t want our community to experience any more heartbreak where families are just shattered.”
Police from the two departments will patrol the crossings from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and tell people they see walking on the railroads that they shouldn’t be there.
