L’Observateur / July 8, 1998

LAPLACE – Two separate train accidents happened within eight hours if each other in St. John the Baptist Parish during the holiday weekend.On Sunday at 4:40 p.m., a 1988 Toyota 6000 pickup truck, southbound onCardinal Street, was struck by an eastbound Kansas City Southern train.

The driver, Don Anthony, 43, 4230 Orange Loop, LaPlace, received serious injuries. He was first transported to River Parishes Hospital and, twohours later, transferred to Charity Hospital.

His passenger, Mary Ann Joseph, 43, 193 West 23rd St., Reserve, receivedless serious injuries and was admitted to River Parishes Hospital. She,likewise, was soon transferred to Charity.

Both remain in guarded condition, according to a hospital spokesman.

Chief Harold Klibert reported that a witness said the train’s engineer, E.L.Kelly of Baton Rouge, sounded the horn repeatedly as the train approached the crossing.

Klibert affirmed the accident is still under investigation.

Early Monday, at 1:04 a.m., a 1998 Chrysler sedan, northbound on HemlockStreet, was struck by a westbound Kansas City Southern train.

The driver, Oree King Jr., 24, 3029 English Colony Drive, LaPlace, receivedminor injuries, Klibert said, and was treated at River Parishes Hospital and released.

Again, as in the earlier accident, a witness told investigators the train’s engineer, Frank Mounk Jr. of River Ridge, sounded the horn as the trainapproached the crossing. The crossing also has crossing gates whichlowered as the train approached.

Klibert said King was cited for failure to yield at a railroad crossing.

Photo: LAPLACE firefighters assist Acadian Ambulance personnel and remove the passenger from this truck following a collision with a Kansas City Southern Railroad train Sunday afternoon. Both the driver and passengerremain hospitalized at Charity Hospital in Ne Orleans.

Photo by Leonard Gray.

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