An 89-year-old woman in Ohio has died after a stopped freight train blocked first responders from reaching her burning home, local officials said.
Marian Haefner died on Sunday following a fire that broke out at her residence on Patterson Avenue in Lockland, a community located about 12 miles north of Cincinnati.
Firefighters were dispatched to the address just after 9:30 a.m. However, a Norfolk Southern train stationary across the local tracks blocked a vital railroad crossing, significantly slowing the emergency response time, according to Lockland Fire Chief Doug Wehmeyer.
Chief Wehmeyer told local media that the train delayed the Lockland fire unit’s arrival by approximately seven minutes. Under normal conditions, firefighters typically reach the location within 30 seconds. Because of the obstruction, a fire unit from the neighboring town of Reading was forced to respond to the scene instead.
Upon arrival, crews observed smoke pouring from the structure and forced open the front door. Inside the residence, firefighters located Haefner in a bedroom. She was transported to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Chief Wehmeyer expressed sharp frustration over the railway obstruction, noting that one of his off-duty firefighters had observed the same train parked across the crossing at 8:00 a.m., an hour and a half before the fire dispatch. Questioning the safety implications, Wehmeyer asked why a train should be permitted to block critical community crossings and affect life safety.
Local officials emphasized that blocked railway crossings have plagued the municipality for more than nine years. Lockland Mayor Mark Mason Sr. stated that repeated complaints have gone unheeded, culminating in a tragedy for a local resident.
Mayor Mason called the situation unacceptable and asserted that local authorities will continue pressing for intervention from the federal government.
In an effort to mitigate the ongoing hazards, local fire officials have repeatedly requested that Norfolk Southern notify emergency dispatchers when a train halts across the tracks. Chief Wehmeyer noted that despite multiple appeals, the railroad has not cooperated with communication efforts.
In response to the incident, a spokesperson for Norfolk Southern stated that the company is actively working to find a solution to regional traffic congestion. The exact cause of the house fire remains under active investigation.
