Metro North Train Strikes SUV Killing 6

I heard about this... Sad.

Why did the lady go forward? That's what I can't figure out.

John
 
Unfortunate accident and grade crossing collisions are all too common in the US. Drivers often do foolish things. But had this been a freight train collision it is highly likely only the SUV driver would have died. These metro cars are not designed for grade crossing collisions. There are no locomotives and not much between the point of impact and the metro operators and passengers in the lead car. These trains have no buffer to protect people in the front car, unlike a freight or passenger locomotive. Push/pull operations are also a hazard when operating in the push mode. These operations should probably not be allowed in areas where grade crossings are present. I've seen videos where a push/pull train collided with a loaded semi. Fortunately, the engine was in the lead. Though the semi was destroyed and the engine had heavy damage there were no deaths or serious injuries. Had they been in push mode with a lead car load of passengers the result would have been much different.
 
Unfortunate accident and grade crossing collisions are all too common in the US. Drivers often do foolish things. But had this been a freight train collision it is highly likely only the SUV driver would have died. These metro cars are not designed for grade crossing collisions. There are no locomotives and not much between the point of impact and the metro operators and passengers in the lead car. These trains have no buffer to protect people in the front car, unlike a freight or passenger locomotive. Push/pull operations are also a hazard when operating in the push mode. These operations should probably not be allowed in areas where grade crossings are present. I've seen videos where a push/pull train collided with a loaded semi. Fortunately, the engine was in the lead. Though the semi was destroyed and the engine had heavy damage there were no deaths or serious injuries. Had they been in push mode with a lead car load of passengers the result would have been much different.

There have been interesting studies done by the NTSB regarding these operations. They have been working with railroad car manufacturers on increased strength because of the accordion effect caused by the lead car hitting a solid object and the remaining cars collapsing and pancaking into each other as they are pushed from behind.

Here's a link on this particular accident at the NTSB.

http://www.ntsb.gov/Pages/default.aspx

One of the studies on this done on the MARC accident in 1996

http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/RAR9702.pdf

John
 
I heard about this... Sad.

Why did the lady go forward? That's what I can't figure out.

John

Apparently, she got out in front of the tracks to inspect her car (who knows why), and when she moved because of a driver behind her, the train hit her.
 
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Hi everybody.
First of all can I express my online condolences to the families and friends of all those killed in this incident and my sympathy to all those who suffered injury and distress in this same incident

I heard about this... Sad. Why did the lady go forward? That's what I can't figure out.
John

John, in my experience being involved in industrial safety in the British road haulage industry (trucking), no one can predict how any one person is going to react under conditions of sudden severe stress. No two incidents are ever exactly the same, just as no two persons in this world are ever created the same.

According to witness reports the crossing barrier came down on top of the car which was stationary. The female driver left the vehicle briefly to inspect what had happened before re-entering the vehicle and moving forward into the path of the oncoming train. The most likely explanation would be that in her distressed state she engaged the wrong gear/drive and moved forward rather than reverse which caused the accident.

The exact reasons for her actions will most likely never be known as she died in the accident. As usual in incidents such as this, the accident investigating team will have much to look at before any conclusions and liabilities can be brought forward.

It has been stated that the investigation could take over a year to come to its full conclusions. However, that would not be unusual given the number of victims coupled to the complexity of establishing the exact cause and extent of injuries sustained to each casualty of the accident whether they are deceased or injured.

Speculation is best withheld at this stage until at least the preliminary report is available.

Bill.
 
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Hi everybody.
First of all can I express my online condolences to the families and friends of all those killed in this incident and my sympathy to all those who suffered injury and distress in this same incident



John, in my experience being involved in industrial safety in the British road haulage industry (trucking), no one can predict how any one person is going to react under conditions of sudden severe stress. No two incidents are ever exactly the same, just as no two persons in this world are ever created the same.

According to witness reports the crossing barrier came down on top of the car which was stationary. The female driver left the vehicle briefly to inspect what had happened before re-entering the vehicle and moving forward into the path of the oncoming train. The most likely explanation would be that in her distressed state she engaged the wrong gear/drive and moved forward rather than reverse which caused the accident.

The exact reasons for her actions will most likely never be known as she died in the accident. As usual in incidents such as this, the accident investigating team will have much to look at before any conclusions and liabilities can be brought forward.

It has been stated that the investigation could take over a year to come to its full conclusions. However, that would not be unusual given the number of victims coupled to the complexity of establishing the exact cause and extent of injuries sustained to each casualty of the accident whether they are deceased or injured.

Speculation is best withheld at this stage until at least the preliminary report is available.

Bill.

Indeed, Bill.

Check out the link I placed above from the NTSB, or our National Transportation Safety Board www.ntsb.gov which has some preliminary information on this horrific accident. We won't know the reasons, however, the accident reconstruction will take time. Perhaps more safety considerations will come out of this including upgrades to rail equipment to better withstand impacts such as this.

This line has seen other accidents, though not as severe in the past, and not counting the one in December 2013. In one incident the car driver turned on to the tracks instead of going past them because his GPS told him to do so. He caused substantial damage to the third-rail system, which cost in the millions of dollars to repair. He was sited for negligent driving (I would have said stupidity, but that's another story).

John
 
A very unfortunate collision.

You know the motorman-driver-engineer survived the collision; as did passengers riding in the front, but the middle of the car suffered a piercing from the third rail.

Very sad to those involved.
 
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