KNDU TV: Tri-City Railroad Searching for Hit and Run Suspect
RICHLAND, Wash. - A local railroad company is making an effort to stop the destruction of their equipment. On August 21st, cameras along Van Giesen in Richland caught a hit and run on video. A whole slew of people tried to beat the gate arm. The last vehicle, a light-colored pickup with a canopy hauling a boat didn't make it. The boat caught the arm and broke it.
Turns out, this is actually a pretty common thing. There have been three hit and runs like this in just the last month. So, Tri-City Railroad is installing cameras across the area at their crossings. Footage they have has already helped them catch a handful of culprits. One woman even turned herself in. "I contacted her a few days later and at first she thought it was pretty minor. So I sent her the video and after she saw herself, she was shocked and realized how close she came to life-threatening injury," said Vice President of Administrative Services Lisa Anderson. Each time a gate arm is broken it costs thousands of dollars to fix it and investigate. Trains also have to slow down because crews have to flag the crossing when the arm isn't working. If you have any information about the pickup hauling the boat you can contact Tri-City Railroad at (509) 371-8313 or by email at cs@tcry.com
