SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The family of a 22-year-old South Bend man is seeking to have warning gates installed at the railroad crossing where he was killed when a South Shore commuter train smashed into his SUV.
The family of Ryan Vories believes a crossing gate would have prevented his SUV from rolling onto the tracks. Police say the train was going about 70 mph when the crash happened Oct. 7.
The intersection near South Bend has three sets of railroad tracks. Two are for freight trains, the other for the commuter line.
Relatives tell WSBT-TV they believe Vories thought that the warning lights were activated for a freight train that that had just passed through when he was hit by the commuter train. They have started a petition drive.