It's a sound that is all too familiar for the people of Charlotte, MI.
"Choo-choo"
With a total of 23 railroad crossings within the city, trains and railroads are a part of life.
"Every block you go there's a gate ... you just can't get away from it," says Charlotte homeowner Bobby Fiala.
Fiala says he's lived in town for over 20 years and has seen many catastrophes.
"Just look at any crossroad and you will see a cross where someone loss their life," he said.
Those deaths have even impacted his family.
"I remember when my son was 12 ... he saw some kids get run over by a train," Fiala adds. " My son will never get over that ... he saw the whole situation and it was traumatic."
Curtis Stewart, Asst. State Coordinator for Operation LifeSaver, an organization dedicated to reducing injuries and fatalities on railroads, says the biggest contributor to the problem is taking shortcuts on the tracks and not hearing the train.
"Some of these trains go a 110 miles per hour," said Stewart. " They are very quiet these days so they are very hard to hear."
The Eaton County Sheriff Department says walking along the railroad tracks is considered trespassing and is punishable by law.
"If you are caught on the railroad ... it's a 30 day misdemeanor and or a 100 dollar fine," says Sgt. Tom Campbell of the Eaton County Sheriff Department.
Parents can help keep their kids safe with this reminder :
1) Stay off.
2) Stay away.
3) Stay alive.
4) Look, listen, and live.
