Sulphur, LA – Destiny Denton Identified As Woman Killed by Union Pacific Train

Sulphur, LA (July 06, 2021) – A pedestrian died when she was run over by a train on Monday, July 5th in Sulphur.

The Sulphur Police Department responded to reports of a person being struck by a train at the Crocker Street crossing at about 11:30 p.m.

Upon their arrival, they found that, for reasons still under investigation, 22-year-old Destiny Denton, a local resident, was struck by a westbound train.

Denton died at the scene.

This accident is under investigation by the Sulphur Police Department as well as the Union Pacific Railroad Police.

We would like to offer our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased victim, Ms. Destiny Denton, at this time.

Fatal Railroad Crossing Accidents in Sulphur

Louisiana is home to 1,143 miles of Union Pacific track. Union Pacific also runs several facilities across the state, including an intermodal building in Westwego, and a classification yard in Livonia,  all while serving three ports: New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lake Charles.

While Union Pacific alleges that safety is its number one priority, the Federal Railroad Administration’s Office of Safety Analysis has records indicating there were 2,519 railway injuries and deaths throughout the country in the five-month window between January 1, 2020, and May 31, 2020. 346 of those accidents involved Union Pacific directly, 65 of which ended with fatalities.

Incidents that happen at railroad crossings have the highest total, somewhere between 300 and 400, of all annual railroad fatalities. For every single train crossing accident, someone is responsible, including the people tasked with track preservation, crossing signal maintenance, and the upkeep of roadways leading to the tracks. Train crossing accidents can originate from multiple possible causes, like faulty crossing signals with no gates, no lights, and overgrown bushes, which all make an oncoming train hard to see. It is important to document the scene of the crash before the railroad company has an opportunity to clear the scene. It is up to them to ensure that the warning devices are clearly visible and in good working order. 

In rural areas, a train neglecting to sound its horn could result in an accident, particularly at crossings with no gate. A lot of railroad crossings only have crossbucks or lights. Obstructed sightlines make the train or the crossing itself hard to see. In some instances, private crossings are upheld by a property owner instead of the railroad company. 

The caring Louisiana injury accident attorneys at Smiley Law Firm have several decades of experience in helping their clients hold negligent people responsible for their actions. Our attorneys are ready to guide you through this complex legal process and always provide effective and up-to-date legal guidance. 

Our personal injury attorneys in New Orleans do what it takes to get our clients the maximum amount of financial compensation allowed by law. If you sustained an injury during any kind of accident, contact our New Orleans personal injury law firm at 504-688-3494 or 504-822-2222. Schedule a free case examination with a member of our legal team of accident attorneys in Louisiana as soon as possible.

Note: These posts are constructed with the use of secondary sources. These sources include but are not limited to local and state news stories, local and state police accident reports, social media platforms, and eyewitness accounts about injury accidents that take place in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana. We did not independently verify the fact surrounding this accident. If you locate any information that is inaccurate, please contact our firm and we will correct the post to reflect the most accurate information available. We will also remove this post upon request.

Disclaimer: These posts are created to raise awareness about the dangers of driving in Louisiana. We hope that by casting light on serious accidents like this one, other drivers will take heed, and avoid being seriously injured in a similar accident. This post is not a solicitation for business. The information contained in this post is not intended to be legal or medical advice. The photo used in this post was not taken at the accident scene.