Police around Iowa have been working to reduce the number of accidents happening at railroad crossings. In northwest Iowa, Le Mars Police cited 15 motorists during a weekend compliance check.
On Saturday, a Le Mars Police officer road aboard a locomotive through the city and watched for motorists violating traffic laws, such as those driving around crossing bars or through flashing red lights.
The information was relayed to other officers positioned along the railroad line. Police say they witnessed 19 violators from the locomotive and were able to stop 15 of those motorists. Eight of the drivers were issued tickets, while seven were given warning citations.
Police say Union Pacific Railroad crews have experienced a lot of near miss crashes with vehicles at railroad crossings within the city of Le Mars.