Sigma Kappa Injured in a Traffic Wreck involving a Train

[_Lisa_]

I've crossposted this everywhere. Please keep our sister in your thoughts & prayers!

Lexington Herald Leader Article

Car hits train; driver hurt
POLICE SAY WITNESS SAW WOMAN TALKING ON CELL PHONE BEFORE ACCIDENT

A woman was seriously injured yesterday afternoon when her vehicle was hit by a train in north Lexington. She might have been distracted by her cell phone, police said.

Anna Fraley was westbound on Spurr Road, between Georgetown Road and the Kearney Hill Golf Course, about 2:45 p.m. when she drove into the train's path, police Lt. J.J. Lombardi said yesterday.

"She failed to stop," Lombardi said. "A witness said she disregarded the warning lights and was talking on her cell phone as she proceeded to cross the tracks."

There are no crossing arms at the tracks, but the flashing warning lights and sounds were working, authorities said yesterday.

Fraley's vehicle, a four-door sedan, was thrown about 200 feet from the railroad track and landed upside down. Lombardi said the sedan was probably an older model Chevrolet Prizm.

Spurr Road was closed for about three hours while authorities investigated and cleaned up the scene.

Firefighters used the Jaws of Life to free Fraley from the wreckage yesterday, Fire Chief Bob Hendricks said. She was wearing a seatbelt.

Lombardi said Fraley suffered an open-skull fracture.

She was taken by ambulance to University of Kentucky Hospital, where she was listed in critical condition last night, hospital officials said.

Lexington police and railroad officials are investigating the accident.

Yesterday, Hendricks urged all citizens to be cautious when crossing train tracks.

"I think all of us take railroad crossings for granted because of the percentage of time we cross and don't see anything," he said. "The sheer mass of the train makes most of these types of collisions very serious accidents. I don't know the exact statistics, but I would say it's a very low number that survive."

Anna is a 2004 initiate of the Alpha Chi chapter of Sigma Kappa in Georgetown, KY. Please keep her in your thoughts.

[EBSigKap02]

I am speechless... that is so awful. I saw the picture of the wreckage and it's just devastating. Anna, her family and Alpha Chi will be in my thoughts and prayers.

[UofISigKap]

She and her family are in my prayers. What terrible news.

[Drolefille]

This is so sad and frustrating at the same time. This is an accident that didn't have to happen.

It drives me crazy that people ignore train warning lights and will do it again and again. Then people complain that there weren't arms blocking the road, so they put them in and someone busts through them trying to beat the train (or the cops). Sorry, soapbox done...

I sincerely hope she's ok and that other people stop doing it. It's just plain dangerous.

[_Lisa_]

I completely agree with you. I work with her sister & that is who Anna was on the phone with when she crossed the tracks. Even her sister said she heard the train & then nothing. When Anna didn't call her back (she thought maybe they lost their connection) she thought she would drive out to Spurr Rd. since she knew that was where she was driving. She made it there in time to ride to the hospital with Anna.

[BetteDavisEyes]

That is so sad. She is in my thoughts & prayers as well as her family & Alpha Chi.

[EBSigKap02]

Does anyone know how she's doing?

[GtownGirl98]

I went to school with her oldest sister and her dad was my chem prof. (sweet man, corny but a great teacher)...

As of this AM she was improving. Don't know much else, sorry.

ETA: She is the President of the chapter... in case it wasn't mentioned already

[GtownGirl98]

So I called my aunt yesterday who teaches at Gtown every once in a while, thinking that she might know something.... it turns out that she was at the hospital on Friday night with the family. She teaches elem. with Anna's mom.

Anyway, as of yesterday afternoon the Drs took her off the ventaltors (spelling). She never stopped breathing on her own but they put her on them just in case while she was in surgery.

She was aware on some level because she would start to pull her bed sheets up when the male nurses came into her room. (This is according to my aunt and what she has heard.)

It sounds to me like she is doing very well for what happened to her and how her car looked on tv.

The family is holding up and they have a lot of community support. My aunt told that their was at least 100 people at the hospital on Friday night. But please keep them in your prayers... pray works.

[_Lisa_]

Student Recovering After Car Hit By Train
April 24, 2006 10:48 AM EDT

Student Recovering After Car Hit By Train

A Georgetown College student continues to recover tonight after her car was hit by a train.

Saturday, family and friends gathered at the Faith Baptist Church in Georgetown to hold a vigil for Anna Fraley.

Fraley's car was hit by a train yesterday as she crossed tracks on Spurr Road in Lexington. She remains in the University of Kentucky Hospital, where she's been upgraded from critical to serious condition.

Fraley is the president of Sigma Kappa Sorority at Georgetown College.

[EBSigKap02]

Thank God she's recovering.

[BetteDavisEyes]

It's good news that she's recovering. I'll definitely keep praying for her.

[CallieAGD]

An Update on Anna:

She is now out of the hospital and at Cardinal Hill Rehabilition. She is making AMAZING Progress. She can now recognize people and is having conversations. The swelling in her brain is continuing to go down. She still has a long road ahead of her, but her future is looking bright.

[BetteDavisEyes]

That's good news! Please keep us updated on her progress!

[scotty K]

Sorry to crash. Anna was on the local news last night. She is still in the rehab center. She was able to speak to the reporters and she did not seem to have any problem with her speech. She did thank everyone for prayers and feels that the prayers have helped.