How on earth could the woman have not noticed the train coming? If I was approaching an ungated crossing, I would make darn sure I had a good look first! (But I am speaking as someone from the UK, where all our crossings and the whole railway is gated and fenced). Still very sad that a young woman lost her life due to a few moments lack of attention.
Maybe Kansas was not the place to be yesterday... Snipped from the "Railmishaps" list. Mon, Jan. 19, 2004 - The Kansas City Star KCK man injured in wreck with train in Olathe The driver of a pickup truck was critically injured this morning in a collision with a freight train in Olathe. The name of the 22-year-old Kansas City, Kan., man was not being released until family members could be notified. He was hospitalized in critical condition, police said. Investigators think the collision occurred shortly after 2 a.m. at the Elm Street crossing, just west of Kansas Avenue. Police said it appeared that the eastbound truck drove around warning signal arms at the Elm Street crossing and collided with a car in the center of a southbound train that was passing through the crossing. The train's crew was unaware of the crash. The crew of another train passing by about two hours later saw the wrecked truck and called police. Officers found the vehicle with extensive front-end damage. The man, who was thought to be the lone occupant of the truck, was found unconscious next to a nearby fence. Police called the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad and officials found damage to the 56th car of a 111-car train that had passed through the crossing earlier. Anyone who saw the crash or has information is asked to call Olathe police at (913) 971-7500 or (913) 971-6950
Since there was no vegetation and there was a clear view, my first assumption would be suicide. Unless you are driving with your eyes closed, that would be a hard sight to miss.
The above described second mishap has me wondering. Around the gates, and into the side of a moving freight car? About the midway point of a mile long train? Seems a little bit strange! The possibility of it being deliberate creeps into mind. Boxcab E50
Looks like we have two more candidates for Darwin Awards. It would be interesting to know what that guy who crashed into the middle of a train has to say.
Sounds like he's been watching too many Dukes of Hazard movies. Maybe he thought he was going to jump through an open boxcar or over an empty flat? Some people never cease to amaze me.
I used to live around there and there are loads of dirt roads going across the tracks. You would think that people would see a train but some people go down through there in a daze. I'm not saying that was the case here as I have no way of knowing but some folks are right out of it. My friends wife totaled a car because she was eating an ice cream cone. She stopped watching the road and watched the ice cream cone instead. Charlie
I feel for the train crew. You can say anything about the inteligence (lack there of) of the victim, and about the crash being her fault. But imagine the helplessness of the crew. The only thing that --maybe-- will work is the horn. I bet the last looks of the deceased will always be frozen in their mind. A rr special agent was telling me about an engineer who was involved in over a dozen fatal crashes....poor guy. Can you imagine the stress he feels any time someone races up to the crossing?
This is the point I always emphasize on my tours at the Danbury Railway Museum. I usually bring this up while I have the group standing in the cab of the E9. This way they can appreciate the size of a locomotive and the view the crew has. In order to make the point of rail crossing safety more dramatic, I use this little example. "If you have a soda can (or a beer can with an all adult audience), and you run over it with your car, what would it look like? (pause for effect) This locomotive, or any other locomotive can do that to your car." After another pause, in which I look at the expressions on the peoples face, I go on to talk about the effect and feelings of the crew. What amazes me is the look of surprise on the face of many of the adults.
I have traveled many miles and on many railroads in the locomotive cab while an FRA inspector. I have never been in an accident although I had three close calls. One was a pickup truck with 8 100 gallon propane tanks that failed to stop at a crossing and crossed right in front of us. He made it by about 3 feet. The other two times were on Amtrak and both involved tank trucks at the same crossing. We were running at track speed of 79 mph as they pulled onto the crossing in front of us and stopped at the stop sign. The engineer dumped it and we stopped about 300 feet past the crossing. Both moved and we missed them by about 20 feet. It sure does make you think when you are about to hit 8,000 gallons of gas or fuel oil.
A few years back there was an incident, I believe it was in Louisiana, where a tanker truck pulled right in front of a freight train. The crew thought it was all over for them, but went into emergency and dropped to the floor instinctively. They split the tanker wide open and the contents flooded the cab. When the train finally came to a stop they opened their eyes to a world of white. It was a milk truck.
I wonder if they found a cell phone somewhere in the wreckage. Had a woman cross over into my lane while driving the other day. After she finally realised it and got back over, as she passed me I saw her clinging to her cell phone.
Drivers on cell phones are one thing, but here in New York City where people are always in a rush to get nowhere, the most dangerous thing is pedestrians with cell phones. I have a close call with at least one everyday. And, not only do cell phones cause accidents at grade crossings, but they can kill you in other ways too. Last week a 17 year old girl here dropped her cell phone onto the subway tracks. She jumped down onto the roadbed to retrieve it and a train came into the station which has a curved track and the motorman saw her when it was too late. A man grabbed her hands and another man grabbed him from behind in an effort to pull her up without him falling too, and the train ripped her right out of his hands. The motorman put the train into emergency but it was too late. The thing that gets me (and many others) is that witnesses said how "brave" she was and didn't panic as she was about to be killed. "Brave"???????? How about just plain stupid.
The Darwin Awards website has rejected the cellphone-subway fatality as being "far too common". Isn't that a sad comment on the lack of common sense in our society?
