Rob Kulat

One minute, Sharon Goins was standing near the railroad tracks between Sholar Avenue and Norfolk Southern’s DeButts Yards, talking to the conductor of a stopped train.

One minute, Sharon Goins was standing near the railroad tracks between Sholar Avenue and Norfolk Southern’s DeButts Yards, talking to the conductor of a stopped train.

The next minute, she was dead, having turned around into the path of a train on the tracks behind her.

“It kind of happened so fast,” said Ms. Goins’ daughter, Tifiney Goins.

Accounts differ as to why Ms. Goins, 49, was walking between the rails of CSX tracks near the CARTA garage about 4:30 p.m. April 21. According to a Hamilton County Medical Examiner’s Office report, she was asking a stopped train conductor for money. Her daughter says she was simply chatting with him. Toxicology reports are pending.

The incident was one of three casualties involving trains in the last three weeks in Hamilton County.

On April 24, police found Daniel Derryberry, 46, of Chattanooga, lying underneath a train at 100 Wauhatchie Pike. He suffered severe injuries and was listed in critical condition at Erlanger hospital Friday.

And on May 1, a 22-year-old man was killed by a train at the Igou Ferry Road and Norfolk Southern Crossing. His death was ruled a suicide by the Medical Examiner’s Office. According to a Soddy-Daisy police report, drugs and alcohol were believed to be a factor, but a toxicology report is pending.

TRACKING THE PROBLEM

Since 1997, more people have been killed each year by walking on or near tracks than in motorvehicle collisions with trains at highway-rail grade crossings, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.

Nationwide, 486 people died in 2007 as a result of walking or riding along train tracks, according to preliminary statistics from the Federal Railroad Administration. That’s higher than the 475 and 463 deaths in 2004 and 2005, respectively, but less than the 518 such deaths of 2006.

In Tennessee, there were seven deaths from trespassers — the railroad association labels them “trespassing deaths” — in 2007, down from 13 in 2006 and 11 in 2005.

The average person killed in this manner is a 38-year-old white male under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, according to a report released by the railroad association in March.

People walk on or near tracks for many reasons, including those looking for a shortcut, people riding all-terrain vehicles and those hunting near tracks, said railroad association spokesman Rob Kulat.

Deterring them is difficult because of the amount of track — more than 200,000 miles nationwide — that exists, he said. Placing fences around tracks or planting shrubbery are possible solutions, Mr. Kulat said.

“But there’s just so much track, it’s impossible to fence it all in,” he said. “And when you do, they cut it down.”

TRAIN TIPS

A vehicle or pedestrian is struck by a train every two hours in the United States, according to the railroad association.

People often do not realize the danger of walking on the tracks or have a difficult time hearing a train because technology has made them quieter, said Jill Moody, state coordinator for Operation Lifesaver, a nonprofit program aimed at educating people about railroad tracks and safety.

“The train can be right up on them before they realize it’s even there,” she said. “Some people think that trains are slower than they actually are, they think they can get out of the way and they actually can’t.”

Operation Lifesaver offers free presentations to show people how to be safe around railroad tracks. Tips include: Always expect a train, never race a train to the crossing and cross only at approved crossings.

Tifiney Goins said she hopes others will exercise caution when standing near railroad tracks to prevent another incident like her mother’s death.

“(My mom) was pretty familiar to safety, and I’m pretty familiar with safety,” she said. “It’s just an accident that happened at the wrong time. I wish everybody would be safe.”