SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. ( WBRC ) - Officers at multiple departments in Shelby County are reminding drivers of the potentially deadly consequences of racing trains to cross railroad tracks.

Alabama is among the worst states in the country when it comes to train accidents.

Railroad safety nonprofit Operation Lifesaver ranks Alabama number eight in the nation for railroad crossing collisions, with nine deaths and 31 injuries in 2024.

“We’ve had people injured and transported to the hospital,” said Chief David Hyche with the Calera Police Department. “We had an 18-wheeler hit.”

Just this summer near Highway 25 in Calera, a CSX train could be seen pushing an 18-wheeler with ease. If it were a car or a SUV, it wouldn’t stand a chance.

“We probably average one or two a year,” Hyche sai

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