This Just In: UP attacks Veterans...

[jkuhn]

I think this could have all been a result of bad communication.

The train crew wasn't speeding, and did what they were supposed to do. The crew blew the horn in an emergency situation (The crossing was in a QZ). The engineer even applied the emergency brakes as well.

Sadly the accident still happened. According to NTSB, the train was going 62mph at impact, and the speed limit was 70mph.

We'll soon find out what went wrong. But it may have been a very simple issue,that had sadly, fatal consequences.

 

[BD1]

placemarker

 

[bnsf50]

According to this article the truck tried to beat the lights as the lights were active before the truck entered the crossing. The gates were coming down as the truck began entering the crossing. I'm sorry but I only hope the truck driver gets prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Our prayers go out to the injured and deceased.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/11/1...-before-parade-float-crossed-tracks-in-texas/

 

[Euphod]

Yet another update:

http://www.officer.com/news/10832162/questions-raised-in-texas-railroad-crossing-crash

 

[JCitron]

So they'll focus their investigation on the crossing gates not coming down soon enough. Now if people are given a longer warning, they'll go around the gates anyway because the extra 10 seconds will be too long for them to wait.

The NTSB will produce a through report on the incident that will include interviews of all parties with signed and recorded depositions. The sad part is we'll have to wait about a year before we read on outcome of the investigation.

John

 

[Euphod]

So they'll focus their investigation on the crossing gates not coming down soon enough. Now if people are given a longer warning, they'll go around the gates anyway because the extra 10 seconds will be too long for them to wait

That was my thinking as well. Unless the spikes spring up from the roadway as soon as the lights are activated, we will continue to see this type of tragedy periodically, and even then I'm not sure it wouldn't happen.

 

[kd7eirjim]

Of course they are focusing on the crossing. UP are the only ones involved in this that have deep enough pockets for the lawyers to go after. The truck driver entered the crossing AFTER the warnings started, that should be the end of the discussion. I hope if they file a lawsuit that they have pay every penny that UP spends to fight this frivolous action. If they MUST sue someone to get "closure", then sue the person that is responsible - the truck driver.

 

[TrainzAreTheBest12]

What is the NTSB?

 

[BD1]

placemarker

 

[Euphod]

Troubling development, no good will come of this:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/11/2...dent-in-kind-catatonic-state/?test=latestnews

 

[kd7eirjim]

Anyone that would send hate emails are truly pathetic people.

 

[sniper297]

News media always "slants" stories for the political views of the owners, secondary is making the stories as dramatic as possible, reporting what actually happened isn't what gets ratings and sells advertising.

General theme seems to be the evil Union Pacific is going after Veterans, so draft dodger peacenik types can wander around anywhere on the UP tracks with impunity? Would Veterans be safe sleeping on the New Haven tracks since a UP train is unlikely to find them there?

"Bottom Line: NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, allow your self to get into a "trapped" position at a grade crossing. Ever. Not even once."

That's my take on this;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Fox_River_Grove_bus–train_collision

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...g-national-transportation-safety-board-blamed

It's relatively simple, you don't enter a railroad grade crossing until you see a clear space on the other side of the tracks long enough for whatever vehicle you're driving regardless of whether a train is coming or not. Understandable that a guy driving a parade float would want to stay in formation keeping up with the vehicle ahead, but (1) he should have had enough brains to consider the possibility of having to stop on the tracks and backed off to allow more space, and (2) whoever planned the parade route should have done better planning.

 

[frogpipe]

Thanks for the quote!

I'll throw this in too, tho it wouldn't have helped in THIS case.

There should be NO SUCH THING AS A QUITE ZONE. My great-grandfather is spinning in his grave....

 

[gg14835]

I can't imagine how the crew of the train must be feeling. Such a sad story.

 

[Euphod]

I'm sure we all see it all the time; the bells sound and the lights flash and everyone tries to get through before the gates come down. I realize there are some intersections that require the lag time between the bells and the gates, to allow for cars already in the crossing to escape, but the law states that the driver must not proceed when the bells and lights are activated. One story I read stated that the warnings activated twenty seconds before the impact, and the gates started coming down seven seconds after the warnings came on. While I have empathy for the veteran that was driving the truck, why he thought he could get across with a flatbed trailer in tow is beyond me. Perhaps he drives a small, zippy car when he is not working? Just a horrible situation.

I suppose the only way to prevent these types of accidents is to eliminate the level crossing. It would be great to imagine that the gates could come down when the lights activate, but then cars could be trapped on the tracks. If a shorter gate was used to only block the incoming lanes on either side, people would invariably try to drive around them. I suppose the equipment could be activated sooner, but then the impatient drivers would be tempted to try to beat the equipment even to a greater degree.

All this for a few seconds saved.

The level crossings are not even the whole of it. One evening on my way home I chose to turn onto a street that goes under three tracks, when I came out of the underpass, I turned right to parallel the tracks up to a level crossing about a half mile away. Imagine my surprise when a Small Chevy Blazer shot out of one of the industries to my left, crossed the road I was on, drove up the embankment for the rails, bounced across three sets of tracks, narrowly missed a tree and launched onto the four lane on the other side of the tracks, continuing on it's way. I was so angry and shocked that I didn't do anything! Granted, that is a rare occurrence, but it does stand to illustrate that no amount of safety precautions will stymie a dedicated moron.

 

[BD1]

placemarker

 

[heyrey]

I just heard about this and it was a tragic thing to hear that the veterans weren't killed in battle, but killed in something that could have been avoided easily. ( if the gates were working properly) MY thoughts and prayers go out to the families victims who have to suffer the hardship during the holiday season. We hope these families will power through their loss and have another great Thanksgiving and Christmas.


RIP Veterans:'(

 

[grms]

........ ( if the gates were working properly) ......


RIP Veterans:'(

Are you suggesting that the gates were not working properly? Do you have some inside information that we are not privy to?

Some thought for the train crew would not go astray either.

Mark
South Oz

 

[JCitron]

Thanks for the quote!

I'll throw this in too, tho it wouldn't have helped in THIS case.

There should be NO SUCH THING AS A QUITE ZONE. My great-grandfather is spinning in his grave....

Yeah, those QUIET ZONES are for NUMBYs (note spelling). When I lived in Andover, MA, they flocked there like it was the best place in the world to live. They also made our taxes go up 300%, but that's another story. They moved next to farmland and complained about the smell. Next they built condos and apartments next to the railroad and complained about the trains making noise. The railroad had been happily blowing horns for 150 years before without too much of an issue, why all of a sudden is the railroad too noisy? So now there's the quiet zone through out the town. Now there are only two crossings too, so it's not like they blow the horns 60 times when they pass through. Immediately there were accidents and one person was severely injured. Of course the local media blamed the railroad, after all train drivers can pull the train out of the way and stop on a dime. The problem is these people are everywhere, and sadly instead of safety and common sense ruling over selfishness, it's the other way around.

Regarding this accident in general, we can continue to speculate, but a thorough NTSB investigation will prove who was at error just like they did recently in Nevada where the truck struck the side of Amtrak 6. In this case it was the truck driver and not Amtrak's fault. Only time will tell the story when the results come in from the accident reconstruction and computer modeling.

John

 

[heyrey]

Are you suggesting that the gates were not working properly? Do you have some inside information that we are not privy to?

Some thought for the train crew would not go astray either.

Mark
South Oz

As far as I have heard from various people, the gates weren't working properly like they were supposed to.