Last Tuesday’s train versus semi crash at the Talon Avenue railroad crossing brought back some painful memories for Doug Powell and his family.

Powell is the father-in-law of Amanda Powell, who was severely injured back in November 2011 after crashing her vehicle into a parked train car at the exact same crossing.

Powell says his family and many people in the Menlo community are taking the accident very hard.

“That hit home pretty close, I’ve said for a long time they need to do something there at those railroad crossings, especially with the ethanol plant and the all traffic now going in and out of there.”

Powell says he’s spoken with his son Brent, Amanda’s husband, about the accident, and Amanda is taking the crash hardest of all.

“He said that she’s taking it pretty rough, and I don’t think she even goes home that way anymore, she takes the long route.  They got out and drove around a little bit after that accident and talked about it–she was pretty upset.”

Powell says the biggest problem with the Talon Ave crossing is the lack of warning arms that would help travelers as they approach the railroad.  He believes that with the increased traffic on Talon Ave the past few years, putting up arms would be the most common sense step in improving safety at the crossing in the future.