Statement from Operation Lifesaver, Inc., President Helen M. Sramek on 6/24/11 incident

Our thoughts are with the families of the truck driver, the train's conductor, and the passengers who were affected by Friday's collision between a truck and Amtrak's California Zephyr. This incident underscores the importance of Operation Lifesaver's (www.oli.org) ongoing mission to reduce these deadly incidents through driver and pedestrian education. Because one out of every four vehicle-train collisions involves a large truck or other commercial motor vehicle, we developed our new Rail Safety for Professional Drivers e-Learning program to prepare truck drivers for the dangers present at crossings. We are reaching out to trucking companies across the U.S. so that they can take advantage of this critical safety tool for their drivers.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Operation Lifesaver officials are available for media interviews: contact us at 1-800-537-6224 or email Marmie Edwards to request an interview.