Above: An aerial image of the railroad tracks in the village of Otego. Image via Google Earth.
A Delaware County couple riding in a golf cart with their dog was hit by a train while crossing railroad tracks in the Otsego County village Otego on Sunday, Aug. 9, and the husband and dog were killed, according to police and media reports.
Charles W. Turk, 57, was found dead near the tracks by New York State troopers under the overturned golf cart, according to a press release from the New York State Police. His wife, 58-year-old Cynthia E. Turk, was found lying nearby with two broken legs. The couple's dog was found dead nearby, according to the Daily Star.
Cynthia Turk was transported to Albany Medical Center and is expected to survive.
The crash happened at 2:54 p.m. on Sunday at a private agricultural crossing of the Canadian Pacific railroad tracks near downtown Otego. There is a well-marked public railroad crossing in the village, but it appears that the Turks were using a crossing that had few or no posted warnings.
Police think that Charles Turk, who was driving the golf cart north, hit a 31-car two-engine freight train as it was traveling west through rail crossing, according to the press release. A spokesman for the State Police told the Daily Star yesterday that the crash is being investigated:
“We don't know the circumstances surrounding the incident yet,” [New York State Police spokesman Nathan] Riegal said Monday. “Maybe they weren't able to stop before hitting the train. We don't know.”
A New York State Rail Inspector is involved in the investigation, according to the press release.
The MacArthur Funeral Home in Hobart is handling funeral arrangements for Charles Turk, but the staff there has not yet met with the family, a representative said today.
