FERNDALE, Wash. — First responders were dispatched to the area of a train crossing on Hovander Road in Ferndale about 2:05pm today, Saturday, August 17th due to report of a train versus vehicle crash.
Whatcom County Fire District 7 interim Fire Chief Ben Boyko told Whatcom News they arrived to find a bicyclist had been struck by a northbound freight train. Aid personnel attempted life-saving measures but declared the bicyclist deceased at the scene.
The BNSF Railway freight train involved stopped about 600 feet north of the crossing and was not blocking adjacent crossings at Slater Road to the south or Washington Street to the north.
As of 8pm, Hovander Road remained closed to all traffic between Scout Place and Labounty Drive.
UPDATE: Ferndale Police issued a statement about 8:50pm stating their initial investigation determined the bicyclist was traveling south on Hovander Road when they collided with the railroad crossing bar at the crossing. The cyclist was thrown into the path of the moving train and was struck.
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Just guessing here, but this doesn’t sound like some rare accident. This sounds like some kid on a bicycle thinking he could get across the tracks before the train hit him. Those engineers are VERY careful.
I’ve ridden my bike over that crossing at least a thousand times. The bike rider would have had to go around the crossing barrier that comes down across the road, unless they had tried to beat the barrier and got a wheel caught in the track. That can happen. In any case, this is a sad event. Bicyclists: Be careful. You are vulnerable. Drivers: Look out for your neighbors. We are all vulnerable.