The tragic train collision on Harris Road Saturday morning claimed the lives of two young Carroll County men: 18-year-old Luke Scott and 26-year-old Martin Perez.
Less than a month ago, on August 13, 24-year-old Destiny Henry was also killed at the very same crossing.
These back-to-back tragedies have left our community grieving.
In moments like this, conversations often turn to blame, whether toward CSX, government, or others.
Through the noise, however, it seems that everyone just wants the same thing: they want to prevent tragedies like this from happening.
The only thing that will make a difference is a concerted effort, which begins locally.
The Harris Road crossing sits on the dividing line between Carroll County Commission Districts 8 and 9.
From my research, it appears that it falls to the local governing body to take the lead on safety improvements at railroad crossings.
Municipalities or county governments must fund the installation of warning lights and gates; once in place, CSX will maintain them.
At the state level, oversight also exists. The Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Office of Rail Safety and Inspection works in partnership with the Federal Railroad Administration to inspect railroad track, signals, and operating practices.
If change is going to happen, it won’t come from waiting on someone else. It will come when our local leaders invest in the safety of their citizens.
Carroll County’s Commission has invested a lot in that regard recently, with the revamped Fire and EMA Departments.
This is not a criticism in the slightest.
If you believe safety improvements are needed, reach out to your commissioners and make your voice heard.
Local leadership has the power to act.
Contact information for the District 8 and 9 commissioners is as follows:
District 8: Dr. Jay Phipps, 205 B Hospital Drive, McKenzie, TN 38201, (731) 234-7199
District 8: Willie Huffman, P.O. Box 4, McKenzie, TN 38201, (731) 571-0970
District 9: John Austin, 1625 Hico Road, McKenzie, TN 38201, (731) 571-7335
District 9: Spiridon L. Roditis, 846 Stonewall Street N, McKenzie, TN 38201, (731) 415-2926
District 9: Jason R. Martin, 3 Banner Row, McKenzie, TN 38201, (731) 352-3323
Other Contacts
You may also contact Taylor Ackerman, Rail Safety Team Lead with the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Office of Rail Safety and Inspection. He can be reached at Taylor.Ackerman@tn.gov or (615) 253-1054.
Citizens may also wish to reach out to their state legislators, who represent Carroll County in Nashville and can advocate for funding or policy changes related to rail safety.
State Senator John Stevens (District 24), whose district includes Carroll County, can be reached at sen.john.stevens@capitol.tn.gov or by phone at (615) 741-4576.
His office is located at 425 Rep. John Lewis Way N., Suite 710 Cordell Hull Bldg., Nashville, TN 37243.
State Representative Tandy Darby (District 76), who represents the northern part of Carroll County where the crossing is located, can be reached at rep.tandy.darby@capitol.tn.gov or by phone at (615) 741-7847.
His office is at 425 Rep. John Lewis Way N., Suite 676 Cordell Hull Bldg., Nashville, TN 37243.
