SALISBURY, N.C. -- With the Fourth of July almost here, many people are hitting the roads, but not everyone will take the interstate. Some will use back roads and that means they will likely cross railroad tracks.

Former train engineer Joe Harris knows that scene all to well. He says he's hit 20 people over his career, killing three. They all haunt him to this day, but one more than others.

"I stopped one mile down the road and when the train crew members went back, they found a 3-year-old girl dead in the passenger seat," he said.

Harris’ goal now is to turn his experience into a lesson for others through Operation Lifesaver, a national campaign that teaches people how they can save their lives at railroad crossings. Harris spends much of his time lecturing new drivers.

"The only thing I can do is try to prevent it from happening again," he said.

According to Operation Lifesaver, someone will be hit by a train every two hours. About 600 people die each year from collisions with trains and not all accidents involve cars.

Two years ago, North Carolina was seventh in the nation for people killed while walking on train tracks. Last year the state was fifth, and so far this year North Carolina is second. Harris says people just don't realize how fast trains are going and how hard it is to stop.

"By the time the headlight hits you, you have three seconds before the train is occupying that spot," he said.