By MARY ANN GREIER

Correspondent

LEETONIA — A westbound train struck the vehicle of a Greenville, Pa., couple — possibly lost on a drive — Monday morning at the Chestnut Street crossing, killing 89-year-old Sally B. Davies.

Her 92-year-old husband, Ronald Davies, the driver, had managed to escape from their Chevrolet Equinox with help from a Leetonia police officer, but was injured when hit by the vehicle after the train struck it. He was listed in critical condition in the intensive care unit at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, Leetonia Police Chief Allen Haueter said.

According to Haueter, after helping the man out of the vehicle, Leetonia patrolman Logan Malik had gone ato the passenger side and was trying to get the woman out, who was concerned about her dog in the back seat, but there wasn’t enough time. He got out of the way just before impact. A citizen had managed to retrieve the dog, a border collie, before the train hit and placed it in the back of the police cruiser.

Leetonia officials said they want to thank a couple of good Samaritans for jumping in to help at the scene.

At impact, the woman was thrown from the vehicle and was found lying between the two sets of tracks, still alive. Malik and Patrolman Alan Shafer rendered as much medical aid as they could, but she died at the scene.

Leetonia fire and EMS responded to help and the husband, who also ended up between the two sets of tracks, was transported to St. Elizabeth. Malik injured his right arm but was not hospitalized.

Malik had been sitting in his cruiser in the Family Dollar parking lot, nearing the end of his shift, when he saw the vehicle get stuck on the tracks at 6:02 a.m. Haueter said the Davies’ vehicle made it across the first set of tracks, the south side, then it looked as if the front end went slightly off the road and was over the north side tracks. Malik responded and as he was talking to them and trying to get them out, the gates came down, and he saw a train heading toward them.

An eastbound train was also off in the distance but was able to stop. Haueter said the westbound train tired to stop and locked up its brakes, but couldn’t stop in time. All the crossings in the village were blocked until after 9 a.m. as personnel from the police, fire, EMS, Ohio State Highway Patrol and Norfolk Southern worked to investigate and clear the scene.

Mary Ann Greier is a reporter for the Salem News.