After the tragic accident at a level crossing in Kriftel, Deutsche Bahn wants to check whether and how it can better secure the crossing.

However, a decision is not expected very soon.

The company is only planning an on-site meeting with representatives of the municipal administration, road authorities and police in May to check the transition, as a spokeswoman said on Wednesday when asked by this newspaper.

The spokeswoman did not answer the question as to what options could be considered for better security.

Jan Schiefenhoevel

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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When crossing the rails on Paul-Duden-Strasse, a 74-year-old blind pedestrian, local politician Werner Moritz-Kiefert, was hit and killed by an S-Bahn on Sunday evening together with his guide dog.

The crossing is close to the train station, where the tracks run dead straight.

To the north is a residential area, to the south are fields with dirt roads.

The crossing is used almost exclusively by pedestrians and cyclists, as the First City Councilor of Kriftel, Franz Jirasek (independent), said.

The transition is equipped with half barriers and a red light signal, but not with a warning tone, as the railway says.

According to the police investigation, the man had entered the crossing when the half-barriers were closed.

According to Jirasek, the pedestrian came from the south side of the tracks.

Not the first fatal accident

The local politician lived in the residential area on the other side and probably knew the crossing well.

He came from the west on Mönchhofweg, a dirt road parallel to the tracks, and then turned left onto the level crossing.

That's why he went to the crossing on the left side of the street, which was not covered by the half-barrier.

This shows how dangerous half barriers are for the visually impaired.

Eyewitnesses had warned the man that an S-Bahn had arrived.

According to police, the train driver noticed the pedestrian and unsuccessfully attempted an emergency stop.

According to the first city council, the municipality of Kriftel demands so-called full barriers, i.e. long barriers over the entire width of the crossing.

The community is therefore particularly energetically urging effective protection, because the accident on Sunday was not the first fatal accident at this crossing.

Just three weeks ago, a 12-year-old boy was hit and killed there, ten years ago a cyclist.

Ten years ago, in talks with the railways in Kriftel, they found out how "long-winded" their response time was, as Jirasek said.

After the accident with the cyclist, the railway saw no reason to rebuild the transition because the regulations were met.