Victim of car struck by train in Warner Robins remembered as ‘beautiful person’

The family of a woman killed when the vehicle she was in collided with a train in Warner Robins described her Tuesday as “a sweet, beautiful person.”

Donnell Reid, a 37-year-old woman from Macon, and her 1-month-old infant Kinsley, were killed when a Norfolk Southern train struck their car at the railroad crossing at Ignico Drive Sunday afternoon. The tracks there run parallel to Ga. 247.

The baby’s father Willie Lyons, also from Macon, was driving the car and is in stable condition at The Medical Center of Central Georgia.

Brian Lyons, Willie Lyons’ younger brother, said he remembers Reid’s positive attitude.

“No matter what, she just gave that sweet, beautiful smile,” he said. “Even when she was crying, she was smiling.”

Brian Lyons said Reid was very smart and active. She worked at a nursing home in Macon, he said.

Betty Jackson, Willie Lyons’ mother, said the family called Reid “Angel” because “that’s what she was.”

Jackson said Kinsley was a premature baby, born in April weighing 2 pounds, 9 ounces. She had just come home from the hospital weighing 4 pounds on May 10, Jackson said.

Brian Lyons said the family is grieving the loss of the mother and child.

Reid “was one of the most beautiful people you’ll ever meet, and that’s why God took her home,” he said.

The railroad crossing at Ignico Drive is no stranger to collisions. It was the site of five train-vehicle collisions between 2005 and 2010 and another last June.

Cpl. Sean Alexander, a traffic investigator for the Houston County sheriff’s department, said all signals at the railroad crossing were properly operating at the time of Sunday’s collision. He said the crossing has signage to indicate a crossing ahead, including a stop sign, white stop lines, flashing lights and an auditory signal. There is no gate.

The auditory signal, however, may not have been enough.

Alexander said that he “put himself in the same position” as Lyons, parking his car near the tracks, turning up the air and radio and rolling up the windows, and he was unable to hear the signal.

Because cars are made to cancel outside noise, Alexander said, drivers may not be able to hear noises like a railroad crossing signal.

“With the windows open, it was clear as day. When I rolled them up, I couldn’t hear,” he said.

The Railroad Safety Act of 2008 told Georgia and nine other states to come up with a plan to improve safety at railroad crossings. The Ignico crossing is identified in the plan as a priority location to receive a gate.

Susan Terpay, director of public relations for Norfolk Southern, said it is the Georgia Department of Transportation’s responsibility to decide what type of signals are put at railroad crossings.

Kimberly Larson, a regional communications officer for the state Department of Transportation, told The Telegraph last July that the Ignico crossing would get a gate in the next 10 to 12 months.

When contacted Tuesday, she said she would have to research the matter and did not call back before press time.

Jennie Glasgow, state coordinator for Operation Lifesaver, a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to promoting railroad safety, said no matter what signs are present at the railroad crossing, it is the driver’s responsibility to yield to the train.

Glasgow offered several tips to maximize railroad crossing safety:

Approach crossing with care. Slow down when you see any signage indicating a railroad crossing.

Prepare to stop. Turn off fans and radio, and roll down windows. Look and listen for a train.

If you see a train, stop at least 15 feet but no more than 50 feet from the nearest rail.

Trains extend at least three feet beyond the rails on each side. If you have a large vehicle or a trailer, remember the extra length.

Double-check in all directions before you move at a railroad crossing.

Cross the tracks with care. If your vehicle has a manual transmission, use a gear that will not need to be shifted until you reach the other side.

Keep moving once you start across the track, even if the lights start flashing and the gate goes down.

Information from Telegraph archives was used in this report. To contact writer Liz Bibb, call 744-4425.

This story was originally published May 29, 2012 at 3:51 PM with the headline "Victim of car struck by train in Warner Robins remembered as ‘beautiful person’."