PAST THE BRAKING POINT Despite engineers' best efforts, they usually can't stop a train when someone is on the tracks. By: Rebecca VanderMeulen, Reading Eagle "Ken W. Kertesz, a veteran train engineer and legislative board chairman of the Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union, in a train yard near Scranton."   (Berks County, Pa.) - If an engineer operating a train sees someone walking on the tracks ahead, it's often too late to stop before hitting the person. Ken W. Kertesz, who's been a locomotive engineer since 1974, knows that fact all too well. The last time a train he was operating killed someone, he was at the controls of a Canadian Pacific Railway locomotive in New York near the Pennsylvania line. About 1 a.m. on that day in 2005, the tracks took Kertesz's locomotive past a tavern. Then he saw something on the tracks that should not have been there - something he was powerless to avoid. "I came along, and there was a man lying there in the fetal position," he said. Kertesz reached for emergency brake and blew the train's whistle and the man on the tracks picked up his head. But Kertesz couldn't make the train stop in time to avoid striking and killing him. During the past year, six people have been killed by trains traveling through Berks County, newspaper records show. Recent train deaths: Trains have killed six people in Berks County in less than a year. Sept. 15: Christopher A. Reynolds, 21, Downingtown, Chester County. Train crews saw him walking along tracks in Lyons but could not stop the train before it hit him, investigators said. Sept. 14: Michele L. Meyer, 38, Amity Township. Police believe she was hit while walking along tracks in Amity. March 27: Nikki G. Pownall, 40, Wernersville. A train struck her as she stood on tracks less than 100 yards from her residence, investigators said. Jan. 26: Peter M. Keiser, 42, Rockland Township. A train hit his vehicle as it crossed tracks in Maxatawny Township. Dec. 10: Robert A. Perrin, 40, Fleetwood, was struck on tracks in Wyomissing. The train crew didn't know Perrin was killed until they saw him lying beside the tracks, investigators said. Dec. 3: Kristine F. Havens, 36, Fleetwood. The train crew saw her lie down on tracks in Richmond Township but couldn't stop the train before it hit her, investigators said. Source: Newspaper archives The latest, Kutztown University student Christopher A. Reynolds, 21, was struck Sept. 15 by a Norfolk Southern train in Lyons. Berks-Lehigh Regional police continue to investigate. The department said that even though the train's engineer saw Reynolds walking on the tracks and tried an emergency stop, the locomotive could not avoid hitting him. Engineers are told to stop trains right away when they see someone on the tracks, but often that's not enough time to save a life. It all boils down to simple science. Trains vary in weight depending on the number of cars they are pulling and the cargo. According to the nonprofit group Operation Lifesaver, a typical 100-car freight train going 55 mph takes more than a mile to stop once the emergency brake is applied. Very few people survive being hit by a train, said Lugene Bastian, Pennsylvania's coordinator for Operation Lifesaver, which tries to prevent injuries and deaths by trains. Bastian said she works with one engineer who dives to the floor when he knows he's about to hit someone. "It's like witnessing a car accident," she said. "The worst part is when you make eye contact." Norfolk Southern trains usually run through Berks at speeds up to 50 mph, but company spokesman Rudy Husband said some can reach 60 mph. He said that after a train hits someone, a supervisor interviews the locomotive's crew to learn what happened. Trains also have event recorders - like the so-called black boxes on airplanes - that preserve data such as direction, speed and the position of throttles and brakes at the time of the accident. Some Norfolk Southern trains have digital cameras mounted on the locomotives that visually record accidents. Those also can be used to figure out what happened. Casualties on the tracks in 2006: Berks County 2 deaths 2 nonfatal injuries Pennsylvania 21 deaths 582 nonfatal injuries United States (including Puerto Rico) 909 deaths 8,244 nonfatal injuries Source: Federal Railroad Administration "If the locomotive is equipped with a camera, we'll pull those tapes," Husband said. Kertesz, who also is legislative board chairman of the Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union, said engineers react differently after operating a train that strikes someone. He took the paid time off that was offered after each of the four deaths he's experienced on the tracks. "It's anything but pleasant," Kertesz said. "You have flashbacks. You have nightmares." But Husband said the tragedies could be prevented if people respect train tracks as the private property they are. Going on any railroad's property is considered trespassing, he said. And it's important to keep the laws of physics in mind. "Keep in mind that locomotives don't have steering wheels," Husband said. "If you're close to the tracks, something could happen." But Bastian said that in one way, railroad tracks are like the roads that cars use. "It's the train's road and they have right-of-way," she said. "It's their highway." Kertesz has even seen all-terrain vehicles on railroad property. The only way to completely prevent tragedy is to block off every inch of access to the tracks, he said. And police can't be everywhere either. "They would have to fence off every mile of track in the Reading area," Kertesz said. Railroad safety Tips to stay safe near the tracks: *Train tracks are private property and it's illegal to trespass. *Cross only at designated crossings. *Never walk on the tracks. *You can't always hear a train coming. *Never race a train to the crossing. *Be observant at the crossings. *If crossing multiple tracks, look for multiple trains. *Don't drive around lowered gates at a crossing. *Treat flashing red lights as stop signs; don't proceed until the lights stop. *Stop between 15 and 50 feet from the track. *Never stop on the tracks. *Keep going if lights start flashing and gates come down while your vehicle is on the tracks. *If your car stalls or stops on a train track, get out and call 9-1-1. In addition, if a train is nearby, walk away from the tracks at a 45-degree angle opposite the train's direction. The technique should prevent you from getting hit by debris if a train strikes the vehicle. Sources: Liberty Mutual, Operation Lifesaver And not everyone ends up on the tracks by accident, Bastian said, although there's no way to put a number to that. "A lot of times, it's suicide," she said. "A lot of times those folks are determined." Kertesz just tells himself that he did his job the right way, even though four too many people have died in the process. "I've got it made up in my mind that they were not my fault," he said. "I don't run scared. I operate the train safely." *Contact reporter Rebecca VanderMeulen at 610-371-5015 or rvandermeulen@readingeagle.com. ### The Pennsylvania Legislative Board of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) represents some 1,300 employees of Class I Freight Railroads: Norfolk Southern, Canadian Pacific, Canadian National and CSXT, as well as passenger trains Amtrak and Septa. The Pa. BLET merged with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and is also a member of the Pa. AFL-CIO. More information on the Pa. BLET can be found by going to its website at: www.pslb-blet.org. For more information regarding this news article, please contact Jamie Fulginiti at 717-975-2148 or jfulginiti@hersheyphilbin.com.