PAGE — With harvest season underway, Captain Bryan Niewind issued a strong warning to drivers regarding patience and vigilance around large farming equipment, noting a recent fatal train accident involving a combine near Page, North Dakota.
“We did have a combine that was struck by a train up in the Page area here a few weeks ago,” Niewind said.
The combine operator was crossing an “unmarked intersection” — a common, rural railroad crossing without stop arms or lights — when it was struck by the train, tragically killing the individual.
While Niewind noted that it’s been a “very very safe harvest so far” and that “sugar beets are pretty much done” with corn and beans underway, he emphasized the need for continued caution.
Niewind’s primary message to the public was ‘Patience is the key factor this time of year.’
He offered clear advice for non-farm drivers:
- Give Space: Give large equipment, like tractors and combines, time to move over to pull off into an approach or side road.
- Be Aware: Recognize that it takes “a little while for those trucks to get up to speed” when they are loaded and pulling onto the highway.
- Avoid Distractions: The single most important action is to “get rid of those distractions as you’re driving” to ensure you are paying full attention to the road and the large equipment.
Niewind also said eight new troopers are currently out on the roadways for their field training and will be on their own in about six weeks.
