6 dead in Metro Notrh Train/ Car Collision

[Ypsi]

It appears 5 passengers and the driver of a car were killed in New York this evening.

http://news.yahoo.com/6-dead-metro-nort ... ories.html

The article does not mention that any crew were killed or injured, but still a terrible incident to read about, and oddly enough with some common sense it likely could have been prevented (maybe try to go backwards instead of forwards...)

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said the gates came down on top of the SUV at the crossing, which was stopped on the tracks. The driver got out to look at the rear of the car, then she got back in and drove forward and was struck.

She got out and then got back in? If she had just stayed put its likely the train could have missed or just nicked the jeep rather than hitting it broadside causing a large fire. I would wager that the snow did not help, but some additional common sense may have been a lifesaver.

[GP30M4216]

This line is electrically powered by 3rd rail. Looking down at this crossing, the third rails run between the two tracks.

My uneducated guess is that the lead car of the train broadsided the Jeep, and the Jeep was not centered over that track but hanging out beyond the train envelope. The Jeep struck the 3rd rail, which tore it from its mountings on the ground. Between the electrified 3rd rail, the gasoline in the Jeep and all the friction of the collision, something ignited, hence the first car being on fire and the deaths on the train. I read another article stating the engineer was among the injured but not the dead. The whole thing is totally tragic.

My guess is that the woman (Jeep driver) was confused. It was dark, after all, and there's a lot of snow in that part of the state. Either she got out, saw the gate behind her, and thought she was actually off the crossing instead of right in the middle of it, or put her car into drive instead of reverse by mistake, or didn't realize how flimsy the gates really are and didn't think she could drive through one of them, something like that.

This is going to start another bout of scrutiny of Metro-North. There have been several other accidents in the past couple years involving injuries and deaths. Hopefully there were no mechanical errors made this time, and it was simply a terrible case of bad timing and decision making.

[hoborich]

People need to understand that when the gates come down on their vehicle, they do not have time to get out and inspect the damage!
People also need to understand that you do not drive onto the tracks, until you can drive all the way across without stopping.

[Ypsi]

Some more articles

http://news.yahoo.com/commuter-train-ac ... 38819.html

https://gma.yahoo.com/driver-car-train- ... ories.html

https://gma.yahoo.com/metro-north-trage ... ories.html

The SUV wrapped around the front of the train and was driven 400 feet down the track, dislodging the electrified third rail. The rail apparently went through the SUV, punctured the gas tank, caused an explosion and then went through the floor of the train behind the motorman’s compartment.

[Ypsi]

http://news.yahoo.com/suv-ended-tracks- ... 59272.html

The SUV driver got ahead of the crossing gate in inching traffic, then got out of her car to examine it after the gate came down and hit the back of it, a witness has said. But then she got back in, seeming unhurried, and advanced onto the track, the witness told news outlets and investigators.

[Saturnalia]

Amen

http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/blo ... l?channel=

[Saturnalia]

<sigh>

So now they're suing the railroad over the accident. Apparently it wasn't the driver's fault.

I'm sure it was an accident, as in she didn't plan on being there when the train was, but it is still your responsibility to operate your motor vehicle in accordance with the rules and regulations, which prohibit stopping/standing on RR crossings. They teach it in driver's ed, and sign it in the field. But still, people ignore things. And when they do, things like this happen.

NEW YORK – The family of Ellen Brody, the driver who pulled her vehicle onto the tracks in front of a commuter train in suburban Valhalla, last winter, is planning to sue Metro-North Railroad, the MTA and others, the Journal News reports.

FULL ARTICLE:
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/20 ... e-railroad

[CSX_CO]

The railroad has a big bank account. The drivers estate does not.

[GP30M4216]

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/transit ... /26872393/

"The lowering of the crossing gates was her first warning that there were train tracks crossing the roadway and that a train was approaching," [The Lawyer] said in a news release.

From my point of view, this was an accident. Certainly not intentional or pre-meditated. I still believe she was either disoriented about her location relative to the tracks, or went into drive when she meant to go into reverse. But seriously dude, the lowering of the gates is usually all the notice anyone gets that a train is approaching a crossing.

Also, have a nice time going back to the files of the New York Central or Boston and Albany to find the name of the guy who designed the Commerce Street crossing at that angle. Let's be sure we hold him accountable. And then modify very grade crossing in America to have a perfect sight line and cross the rails at an exact 90 degree angle.