Train and motor vehicle crash with injury in Town of Fulton, Wisconsin on N. Dallman Road approaching a railroad crossin

Published by Dunk Law Firm

Published:

A 21-year-old Stoughton man was seriously injured when the Honda Civic he was driving was struck by a train at a railroad crossing in the Town of Fulton, near Edgerton, Wisconsin. According to a news release, the Rock County Sheriff's Office and other agencies responded at about 2:45 p.m. on Oct. 28 to a report of a train and motor vehicle crash with injury.

Investigators say the Civic was traveling north on N. Dallman Road toward the crossing while a train made up of a locomotive and two freight cars was approaching it. Authorities say the car moved into the crossing and was hit on its driver's side as the train passed over the tracks. The driver was extricated from the car and taken to a hospital by Med Flight. The report calls his injuries serious but gives no further medical detail.

The train was operated by a 51-year-old McFarland man, and three crew members were aboard. The report says none of them had reported injuries. The Town of Fulton Police Department, Edgerton Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, Lakeside Fire Department, MD-1 and Med Flight also assisted. The source does not say what caused the crash, and it does not assign responsibility to anyone.

Questions Investigators May Examine

What the stop signs do and do not tell us. The release says traffic control at the crossing consisted of stop signs north and south of it, and that they were in proper working order. It does not mention gates, flashing lights or any other warning device, and it does not say whether the Civic stopped before it entered. Because the only control described is a stop sign, the central questions may be what the driver could see of the tracks from the stop position and whether the car actually stopped. Records that may help include data stored in the Civic, if it survived, any nearby video, and photographs or measurements taken from the stopping point on N. Dallman Road looking toward the tracks. The evidence will determine whether any of this mattered.

What the driver's-side impact can show. The report says the train struck the Civic on the driver's side as it crossed the tracks. That detail is a starting point for working out where the car was on the crossing when it was hit and whether it was still moving. Damage photographs, the physical condition of the car and the scene documentation may help answer that. The same detail may also matter medically, because treatment records can show how the injuries relate to the way the car was hit. The report says the driver had to be extricated, so records from the responding crews may document his condition at the scene.

How the car and the train came to meet. The source says both were approaching the crossing at the same time. When the train crew first saw the car, and what they did next, are open questions. The report mentions three crew members, which means there may be accounts from people on the train. Any locomotive recorder or camera data, if such records exist, along with crew statements and radio or dispatch communications, may help clarify the sequence. The source does not say that any of this has been collected.

Evidence That May Need to Be Preserved

The records below are tied to specific details in the report. The source does not say that any of them exist or have been gathered.

  • The Civic itself, unrepaired and unsold, along with photographs of the driver's-side damage, to document the point of impact and any stored vehicle data.
  • Photographs, video and measurements of the crossing, the north and south stop signs, and the view toward the tracks from the stopping position on N. Dallman Road.
  • Any locomotive event recorder data, camera footage, crew statements and communications, to show what the crew saw and how the train responded.
  • The Rock County Sheriff's Office report and any supplemental reports from the Town of Fulton and Edgerton police departments and the Wisconsin State Patrol.
  • Dispatch and 911 records for the roughly 2:45 p.m. response, and run reports from Lakeside Fire Department, MD-1 and Med Flight describing the extrication and transport.
  • Hospital records and bills that document the driver's injuries and treatment.

What Families Should Know

Early reports often change as investigators learn more, and this release reflects only what authorities had said by that point. The description of the stop signs as working properly is part of that early account. It is not a finding on who, if anyone, is legally responsible.

A family may want to keep every medical bill, insurer letter and record of missed work in one place, and to learn what an insurer is asking for before giving a recorded statement. Time limits can apply to injury claims, and a lawyer can explain which ones may apply to a given situation.

How Dunk Law Firm Can Help

If you or someone you love was affected by this crash or another railroad crossing collision in Wisconsin, you can contact Dunk Law Firm to talk through what happened. We can explain what the available records may show, which of them are worth preserving, and what questions to raise with insurers. The call is for information, and no result can be promised.

This post is based on publicly available news reports and is provided for general information only. It is not legal advice.