At a Glance
- Two Alabama mothers died after their minivan was struck by a freight train around 1:46 a.m. on January 16.
- Carolyn Elaine Berry, 47, and Aldereka Laqulla Ikes, 36, reportedly drove around a lowered crossing arm.
- Three of four children inside the vehicle were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
- Why it matters: The tragedy highlights the split-second decisions that can turn routine crossings into fatal crashes.
Two women are dead and three children hospitalized after a freight train collided with a minivan in Birmingham, Alabama, in the early hours of Friday, January 16.
Sophia A. Reynolds reported for News Of Losangeles that Carolyn Elaine Berry and Aldereka Laqulla Ikes were traveling with four youngsters when the crash occurred at a railroad crossing. According to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, the minivan appears to have maneuvered around the crossing gate before the train hit.
Victims Identified
Berry, a mother of five, was pronounced dead at the scene, per Birmingham Fire and Rescue. Ikes was transported to UAB Hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.
One of Berry’s daughters, Malika Kater, told CBS affiliate WIAT that her mother was in the passenger seat and described her as the “life of the party.” Kater also confirmed that none of the injured children were Berry’s own.
Children Rescued
Lt. Catina Williams of the Birmingham Fire Department said three of the four children were taken to Children’s of Alabama Hospital and are expected to recover. A witness pulled all four youngsters from the wreckage before first responders arrived.
Safety Reminder
Jennifer DeAngelis, spokesperson for rail-safety nonprofit Operation Lifesaver, Inc., explained to WIAT that trains often approach faster than they appear.
“They are moving, oftentimes, much, much faster than we think they are,” she said. “A freight train traveling 55 miles an hour can take a mile or more to stop – that’s like 18 football fields.”
DeAngelis urged drivers to obey flashing lights and lowered gates: “If the gates are down, or the lights are flashing, a train is coming, and you want to make that safe choice every time.”
The Birmingham Police Department continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fatal incident.
