Vehicles struck by rocks thrown from Trinity Rail bridge

Ft Worth Star Telegram - Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Rocks being thrown from a bridge struck at least three vehicles traveling on State Highway 360 in Fort Worth early Tuesday morning.

The incident happened about 3:30 a.m. near the intersection of Trinity Boulevard, said Fort Worth police Lt. Dan Draper.

One witness saw two people, possibly juveniles, on the Trinity Railway Express bridge, police said. But when police arrived, the suspects were not found.

Lt. Draper said a Hummer, a Nissan Ultima and a Chevrolet Impala were struck and the drivers were not injured. The rocks were not recovered but believed to be the size of tennis balls based on the damage.

One rock created a hole in the Hummer’s windshield, police said.

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Lt. Draper recalled a similar incident caused a fatal accident about 10 years ago. “It’s a very dangerous situation,” he said

Camera to catch railroad crossing violators

Camera to catch railroad crossing violators

From Staff Reports - Dallas Morning News - Friday, June 1, 2007

GRAND PRAIRIE - What is believed to be the first railroad-crossing camera in the state will be activated Friday morning in Grand Prairie at the corner of Southeast 9th and Pacific streets, city officials said.

Those caught on camera ignoring the warning signs of an approaching train can be fined $150. Officials say they hope the cameras will encourage people to drive safely and obey railroad-crossing signals.

“We look forward to the day when the cameras don’t catch any violators,” police chief Glen Hill said in a news release.

The camera is the first to be installed along the main Union Pacific rail line in Grand Prairie, which currently has 11 crossings. Grand Prairie has the highest railroad-crossing fatality rate of any Texas city, officials said. Since 2003, five people have died in motor vehicle collisions at crossings.

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Kidnapping attempted at Richardson DART station

By Scott Farwell - Dallas Morning News - Sunday, June 10, 2007

Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police and the Richardson Police Department are investigating the attempted kidnapping of a woman at the Spring Valley Station of the commuter rail line Sunday afternoon.

A man grabbed a woman by the arm and tried to drag her out of the station about 3 p.m., Richardson Police Sgt. Harry Helliwell said.

A pedestrian started yelling for police, and the kidnapper ran away. The woman was not injured.

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