Terrible reality: Trapped on tracks as train is coming •y ROBIN GOLDSTEIN As she looked In her rear view mirror, she saw the pried the car nut from under the rail cars, according lo was so scars- I saw the car crushed right where I had DEAL — To be trapped on the railroad track*, with a other gates closed behind her. and a glance sideways re- police. been sitting in il just seconds before." train speeding, unstoppably, towards you. vealed the northbound Cunrall train from Asbury Park Conrail had released no staiemenl In the police as of The engineer, scrambling out nf the train after the That was a favorite plot device for the "Perils nf steaming towards her. according in her statement to po- last night, and police here are still investigating whether accident mistook her for a passerby, she said Pauline", but it became a terrifying reality yesterday for lice the warning system on the railway crossing was malfunc- "He couldn't believe I had actually been in the car Mrs Shirley Pallas. M Darlington Boad. here tioning just seconds before." she said "I was just a few feel Shortly before 1:» p.m.. yeilerday. Mrs Pallas was "The train wit almost on top nf me before I realized Putioe report that the lights and gates at the crossing away when the train hit." whal was happening." Mrs Pallas recalled, still shaken, crossing the railroad tracks at Brighton Avenue, here on were functioning correctly last nighl. after the accident. At the time of the accident. Mrs Fallas had just left her way to visit her daughter last night "1 Jumped right out »Mhe car. turned around, and saw the train smash into my car ." No injuries were reported to the passengers on the a meeting where the speaker discussed the effects of As she approached the crossing, the gales on her side train, or engineer .lames Nelson, of Somerset, police said stress nn the human body were up. and she saw no warning lights flashing, she told She was taken to Monmouth Medical Center but was "I did everything in three thoughts." Mrs Fallas said "I don't know." she admitted I'm still very shaken poUcthcr* home last night, physically uninjured but still, she said, nf her hairs-breadth escape from her car. up I don't feel like I can get back lo normal " One* she was on the tracks, however, the gales al the •groggy." "It wasn't till I saw the train hit the car that I ac "The Lord was watching over me—thai » for sure." other side of the crossing were down, preventing her Her car was demolished, police said, and the train lually realized what had happened." she added, with a she added from driving through. Recording to police. was delayed for about half an hour while towing crews tremor in her voice "1 watched it all — that was whal Patrolman Frank Barry was the investigating officer The Daily Register VOL 100 NO 137 • SHREWSBURY, N. J. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1977 15 CENTS Snow, mid-20s readings also due Gale warning for the Shore Gale warnings were Issued which was rain in Monmouth minimum amount of damage five feet of water at approxi- block passage. today by the Weather Bureau County but snow in North Jer- Long Branch was once mately 4 SO p in yesterday nn In Little Silver, several tor the North Jersey shore sey came howling in from the again the victim of flooded S Elberon Square cars were stranded because Forecast areas, with winds expected to Midwest, dumping 15 inches streets, with police reporting Other heavy flooding was of flooding on Seven Bridges Road, according to police reach 40 mph Rain was ta- of snow in New York. Penn- unpassable roadways in sev- reported on Chelsea Avenue A gale warning Is In ef- In Rumson. a section of pering off but the threat of sylvania and Ohio and up to eral areas during the late af- Third Avenue and parts nf fect for the North Jersey Ridge Road near the Congre- some snow flurries was fore- four in North Jersey. Nine ternoon yesterday Second Avenue shore area wllh wind gusts gation B'nai Israel was sub- cast for this afternoon people died in the storm, Police reported motorists Monmouth Beach police re- of up to 41 mph by this af- merged under six inches of And on top of that, tem- which this morning has des- being stranded under both the ported mild flooding which ternoon and some snow water County officials set up peratures are expected to fall cended heavily upon New Long Branch Avenue railroad did not affect Ocean Avenue flurries. It will turn deci- barricades in the road to into the mid 20s tomorrow England trestle and the Elberon significantly This main ar- dedly colder later tonight warn motorists morning. The heavy rains which Square trestle tery generally floods during with lows going down into Holmdel police said that The vicious snowstorm Monmouth received caused a A car was reportedly under storms, requiring police tn Ihe mid Ms. It will be part- there was minor flooding at ly cloudy tomorrow. The Everett Road and Rt 520 extended forecast calls for The deaths attributed tn the cold to continue for Ihe re- storm were reported in New mainder of the week with . .and he York, in Pennsylvania and in snow expected sometime Ohio Most were heart attack late Friday. II will be clear laughed, victims shoveling snow or Saturday wllh moderating those caught in traffic acci- temperatures. Wave heights dents on slick roads. Buffalo are expected to reach 8 feel SNOW AND GALE - An elderly man Is helped they said International Airport in New late this evening. across Michigan Avenue In Buffalo late yesterday tr York was closed because of during blinding snowstorm, after being knocked NEW YORK (AP) - A the storm. down by a passing auto. car that a teenager stole at The snow line extended gunpoint from a honey- from northern Michigan mooning Vermont couple through northern Pennsylva- plowed through 500 feet of nia and into northwestern sidewalk pedestrians in the New York and New England Fort cutbacks today Times Square area, killing An additional three nr four in- one man and Injuring 12 ches of sknnw was expected other persons last night ac- today tn many areas cording to police. Six to seven Inches of snow The careening auto was common from St. Louis seen as less severe knocked victims into the across Illinois. Indiana and air. Into the street and into Ohio By JIM OSTROFF by the Army in a cost-savings proposed by both the state move, another 8)1 HISA em- doorways before shearing Maine. Vermont and New- FT MONMOUTH - Man- and Maryland congressional off a fire hydrant outside a Hampshire had up six inches power cutbacks at a major ployees were to be reassigned delegations that would cancel Kentucky Fried Chicken res- by early today with more in fort group slated fnr today to a new jnb without a loss of Army plans to dismember the taurant and coming to a the northern sections of those will be much less severe than pay Electronics Command stop just west of Seventh states originally predicted. Ihe While the actual number of (ECOM) and transfer up tn Avenue Western Massachusetts had president of one fort union jobs eliminated or persons 400 fort jobs lo two southern- Wttaeues loM police that up to two inches of snow and said yesterday. transferred to another posi- based Army Installations. Herbert Cahn. president of as the driver, It ynr old the Boston area also hau tion will not be known for This confirmation was com- Harvey CoUlu of Manhal about two inches before the the National Federation of "another few days." Mr. Federal Employees. Local municated by the senator to lai, leaped from the car snow changed to rain last Cahn said he believed that Milton Wilkotz, a representa- laighlag, he was tel upon ar night 476. said that jobs have been Ihe overall "adverse actions" C- resin on 42nd St. in N.Y.C. after ramming pedestrians found for most of the 154 em- tive of the Allied Council of •y lac angry crowd. Police The Arctic air swirling taken by the Army at HISA New Jersey War Veterans. quickly rescied him aad through the northern states ployees of the Headquarters mediately identified The owners of the car Jenkins: "I want the car" would be much less than the wtsked him to safety. today dipped into the South, and Installation Agency Sen. Williams wrote Mr. "I couldn't believe what I were Mr and Mrs Gerry She got out just as her hus- nearly 50 per cent originally Collins was later quoted cooling yesterdays record (HISA) who were slated to be Wilkotz that the senator had was seeing." said Dennis Jenkins of Burlington. VI band came out of the hotel estimated. by police as saying: "I just temperatures for the date laid-off today received a letter from Col. Cavanaugh. a New York They were married earlier and the car sped away, lost control of the car ' that saw parts of Georgia in When noticies went out to Nevertheless, the union is Bruce R. Harris, chief of ths University law student who Monday in Burlington and striking a parked car and At least a half-dozen am- the high 70s and temperatures HISA workers on Oct 6. up to continuing its efforts to have Army's Plans and Operation had just emerged from a had driven here for their careening onward bulances rushed Ihe Injured in the high 90s in southern 444 of the 995 workers in this the entire HISA employee Division, stating that the con- subway at Eighth Avenue honeymoon.