Published 16 days ago • loading... • Updated 16 days ago

Van drives through active railroad crossing, narrowly misses train

Earlier this week in State Center, a white van slowed then drove around a lowered railroad crossing arm on city camera, narrowly missing an eastbound train by seconds.
Federal and state safety guidance notes that going around lowered gates is illegal and dangerous, as trains cannot stop or swerve and Iowa DOT reports 191 crashes through October 2025 at 2,200 crossings.
A community member called police the next day, prompting officers to review city camera footage, where Thomas said, `It was a dangerous close call that Thomas may not have known about if someone who witnessed it on Tuesday hadn’t called police the next day.`
Police plan to pursue a $354 citation and use the case for education, with Chief Thomas saying, `We do plan on citing the driver if we can identify the driver, and then honestly, we want to have a teachable moment for the community.`
Authorities point to local crash tallies, including 18 fatal incidents, 56 injuries, and 117 property-damage cases, to explain why State Center Police continue outreach to communities across Iowa.

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