25 years ago

Twenty five years ago today is a day I’ll never forget.

My wife Rhonda called me at home from her office during the morning of January 28, 1986 and asked if I had heard the bad news. She informed me the space shuttle had exploded shortly after lift off so I immediately turned on the television and watched in horror.

The sick feeling I had watching it over and over and the sadness I had for the families involved. They had actually witnessed it. And what a tragedy it was to NASA and our space program.

At the time I was a full time sports writer with the Grand Prairie Daily News and didn't have to work in the mornings. That night I covered an important high school basketball game between South Grand Prairie and Duncanville at Warrior Coliseum.

There was a moment of silence before the game and Duncanville edged SGP by a couple of points in what eventually gave Duncanville the district championship. SGP also made the playoffs that season and went on to the Region I Tournament in Midland.

Now back in those days we – me and sports editor Randy Jennings – worked way into the next morning putting together the sports pages. Around 2 a.m. on the 29^th a call came over the police scanner that a pedestrian had been hit by a train near the Dallas-Tarrant County Line.

Because our police reporter Gene Abrahamson lived in Dallas I figured I could handle the story and headed out to the scene. Plus I'm an avid railfan so it gave me a chance to be trackside. At the scene I found Grand Prairie Police Officer David Hooper who was in charge of traffic accidents at the time and he was filling me on the situation.

Standing trackside next to the train "Hoop" was telling me the man had either passed out on the tracks from drinking too much or committed suicide. I asked Hoop how mangled was the man’s body. He said “look” and with his flash light showed me I was standing inches away from the man’s upper body.

I’m like “sheesh Hoop!” Hooper started laughing and thought I was aware we were near the body. Over to the left he showed me the man’s leg and to the right another body part. It was indeed a sight I’ll never forget.

Or a day with the space shuttle either.