Central Michigan Life

Issue date: 1/7/08 Section: News

Weathered memorials lie in the fog on Sunday morning among broken plastic from the train-car collision on Baseline Road, just north of Mount Pleasant. Two Mount Pleasant residents were killed and another was injured in the Dec. 8 accident. [Click to enlarge]

The driver of a car that collided with the engine of the Santa Express train in early December was legally drunk, a recently released autopsy shows.

Results show that 31-year-old Mount Pleasant resident Jennifer Mae VanBuskirk's blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit. There were also traces of THC found in her system, which is indicative of marijuana use.

"The driver's blood alcohol level was 0.24," Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski said.

The accident happened at 2:12 p.m., Dec. 8, on E. Baseline Road, west of Mission Street, only 12 minutes after the train had left Mountain Town Station, 506 W. Broadway St.

One of VanBuskirk's passengers, Allen John Pego, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was remembered as "one heck of a sculptor" and "a good family man that was fun to be around" by his uncle Samuel Pego in a Dec. 10 Central Michigan Life article.

Her other passenger, Pego, was airlifted from the scene to St. Mary's of Michigan in Saginaw, then later transported to Hurley Medical Center in Flint. He underwent surgery for his injuries.

A representative of Hurley Medical Center said Msquabnah Pego has been discharged from their facility.

"He is home right now," Mioduszewski said. "He was kind of all banged up."

Since the accident, the Isabella County Road Commission has looked at the area of the crash, to see if anything can be done to improve safety around the crossing.

The last known accident to happen involved a car and a train in 1999. The road was dirt at the time, and has since been paved.

Mioduszewski said the railroad crossing in that area is similar to other crossings in rural areas. The area is well marked with crossing signs. Other forms of crossings, including gates, are rarely used anymore.

"It was a sunny day, and the crossing is well marked," Mioduszewski said. "There is no reason to change that crossing. It's up to the Road Commission if they put anything up."

There were 67 passengers in the back two cars of the Santa Express train, mainly consisting of children. None of the passengers on the train were injured in the accident. Many of the passengers were unaware that the accident had happened.


news@cm-life.com

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