ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County deputies targeted drivers near railroad crossings Tuesday as part of an effort to increase awareness around the tracks.
During "Operation Clear Track," six intersections along Orange Avenue were monitored. Deputies said they were chosen because of a high number of incidents.
"We have the passenger trains coming through here all the time and it becomes a major problem for them, not to mention the injuries and damage to the vehicles that it causes," Sgt. Richard Hosier said.
The crackdown was part of North American Rail Safety Week. According to Operation Lifesaver, 2,100 North Americans are killed or seriously injured every year because of unsafe behavior around train tracks.
"When (trains) come through, they cannot stop on a dime. They cannot stop quickly," Hosier said. "They're running 30 to 35 mph through here and it takes a distance to stop something that heavy."
In Central Florida, there have been several serious or deadly accidents involving trains.
In late August, a 15-year-old boy was seriously injured when he was hit by a SunRail train near the Meado Woods station. Less than two weeks later, a 53-year-old man died after being hit by an Amtrak train. The Florida Highway Patrol said Mane Yee was walking his bicycle between the tracks and failed to get out of the way as the train approached.
Operation Lifesaver said pedestrian and crossing safety will be the focus for the remainder of North American Rail Safety Week, which runs through Saturday.
For more details, visit oli.org.
See a map of all the SunRail-related crashes since 2014 below: