June 27, 2017 | Legal News, Personal Injury, Truck Accidents
Matt Hughes, a famous mixed martial artist was injured last week when his pickup truck was involved in a train collision.
The MMA star is a Hillsboro native and was driving through Montgomery County around 10:45 AM when the trucking accident occurred. The accident report says that Hughes approached a railroad grade crossing marked with crossbucks in his pickup truck. It also says that the truck proceeded to go across the tracks directly in front of a train. The train hit the truck on the passenger side, and Hughes was airlifted to a hospital in Springfield, IL.
His family has stated that luckily he had no internal bleeding or broken bones.
Hughes is a UFC Hall of Famer and considered one of the greatest welterweight champions. He held the title from 2001 to 2004, and again in 2004 to 2006. When he retired in 2011, he had a 45-9 record. He is very beloved by the UFC community.
The crash is currently under investigation by the Illinois State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit.
Typically, there are signs that warn you when you are approaching railroad tracks. Always slow your car down when approaching tracks, your speed should not be over 20mph. Even if the gate is not down it is still wise to check both ways to make sure there are no trains approaching. Often, you can even hear an approaching train’s horn or bell.
When you actually cross the tracks, continue to drive slowly but do not stop on the tracks, even if there is no train approaching.
In most states, if a train is approaching, you should stop within 50 ft of the nearest rail. Never get closer than 15 feet to the nearest rail when a train is coming. If the gate is coming down, or is already in a lowered position, and you don’t see a train, you must still wait until the gate goes up to cross.
Often, multiple trains come through around the same time. So after one train has passed, be sure to wait until the gates go up.
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