Safety First...Or Not

I was driving down a local highway this morning, which has a rail crossing. The crossing will probably be replaced with an overpass one day; but for now, it's one of those things that are dangerous. (I had a friend that hit a train broadside years ago at the crossing. He was too tired, not paying attention, and his life ended late that night.)

There were police cars redirecting traffic, since there was a train blocking the crossing. The fog had mostly lifted, so I could see them from a long distance.

I slowed down, stopped and asked a police officer if the train derailed, or something was leaking. Either was a possibility; the cars were loaded with crude.

What was the problem? The crew became lost, ran out of the mandated time they could run the train, and they shut it down where it sat. The police officers were keeping traffic moving, until the relief crew arrived.

Now, I can understand rail safety. Tired crews can become dangerous, but somebody will have to explain how it's safe for a train to be parked in the middle of a busy highway to prevent a tired crew from continuing to run the train. Couldn't they call someone and explain the situation? How about common sense?

I'm guessing the penalty for going over the allotted time is death, or worse: getting fired. I don't know, but the penalty for ignorance should be worse.....dumbasses!