ND Highway Patrol Reports Fatal Vehicle-Train Collision in Burke County

Fatal Collision at Non-Gated Crossing in Burke County

A 62-year-old man from Lignite, North Dakota, was killed Wednesday night when his vehicle collided with a moving train. The incident occurred at approximately 9:15 p.m. on November 4 in the 10200 block of 82nd Avenue Northwest, situated about five miles west of Flaxton.

According to a press release issued by the North Dakota Highway Patrol on Thursday morning, the victim was driving a 2020 Ram 3500 heading south. The collision took place at a passive, non-gated train crossing. While the driver was wearing a seat belt at the time of the impact, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

InForum reported the details of the crash, which remains under investigation by the North Dakota Highway Patrol. No occupants of the train were injured during the collision, and authorities have noted that weather conditions at the time were clear with dry roads.

The Risks of Passive Rail Crossings

Unlike crossings equipped with active warning devices—such as flashing lights, bells, and automatic gates—passive crossings rely entirely on signs, such as crossbucks or stop signs, to alert drivers to approaching trains. The Federal Railroad Administration, which maintains oversight of rail safety through the U.S. Department of Transportation, frequently categorizes crossings based on their risk profile. Passive crossings are a common feature of the nation’s vast rural infrastructure, where low traffic volume often makes the installation of active warning systems prohibitively expensive for local jurisdictions. While the Federal Railroad Administration provides grants for safety improvements, the sheer number of passive crossings nationwide means that many remain unequipped with automated warning technology.

Ongoing Investigation into the Incident

The North Dakota Highway Patrol has not released the name of the victim, nor have they identified a specific cause or contributing factor for the crash. Emergency response teams were dispatched promptly to the site, involving the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, the Lignite Fire Department, and Portal Ambulance. Their roles, as outlined in the highway patrol’s statement, were to secure the scene and manage the immediate aftermath of the fatality.

A Burke County man died Wednesday evening after the pickup he was driving collided with a moving train near Flaxton, according to the North Dakota Highway Patrol. https://t.co/r4jhQzHC1N

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