A LIRR Train struck a vehicle on the tracks resulting in 3 deaths and multiple injuries. According to the 11:00 news, all the dead were in a truck which was going around the lowered gates trying to beat the train. That comedian was correct... you can’t fix stupid.
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Just got home from a crazy night on the LIRR. A shame, people had to die - why would anyone want to challenge a trains?
One of the trains demolished part of the station platform - the morning commute may also prove crazy.
Apparently the car was hit by the westbound train, at full speed, and then hit a second time by an eastbound train. The car was demolished. Tragic and very preventable accident. Darwin was right.
https://www.newsday.com/long-i...k-babylon-1.27789243
(sad headshakes)
I lived on Long Island most of my life. Too many people are in such a hurry that they do this sort of thing often. 3 lives lost to save a few minutes. Others injured unnecessarily and who knows how much property damage. Now the family's of the people killed will suffer the loss of loved ones.
WHAT A WASTE OF PRECIOUS LIVES.
I pray for them and their familys
Frank
This Long Island Rail Road grade crossing in Westbury is right at the end of the platform. While most trains platform at Westbury, many express through, especially if they're running against the rush flow to get equipment where it is needed.
The gates are carefully timed here, without a lot of wiggle room, so trying to dodge gates on Long Island is pretty much a death sentence. Even the New York & Atlantic freights do 60 here.
Jon
That was a horrific wreck. Its a wonder no one on either train was killed. People who race trains to crossings always are at risk of: "Authorities couldn't identify the victims or the type of vehicle."
Lew
A NY Times update stated that the vehicle was hit by 2 trains, one pulling out of the station heading eastbound and then a thru train heading westbound hit the wreckage pushing it down the tracks causing 2 of its own cars to derail and damaging the station platforms. Once stopped smoke began filling some of the cars. Train crews opened doors to vent the cars. All 3 fatalities were from the truck. My heart goes out the crew members of both trains who now have to live with this horrific event all because someone was in a hurry and had no regard for his own life and the lives of others.
TRAGIC and totally avoidable! 😐
The part of the story that leaves me shaking my head was Cuomo "calling for an investigation". I'm sure the NTSB was sitting back in DC waiting for him to insist they come. 
Geez...
Curt
Edit: After reading a story noted in a following post I see the NTSB will not be involved in the investigation since it is considered a grade crossing accident; something that does not normally fall under their jurisdiction. I’ll retract my righteous indignation...
Unfortunately we have seen too much of this on the island. It’s sad and completely preventable as mentioned before. I remember the accident years ago at the Herricks Rd crossing. All young kids too. With the third track going in, it will make it even more dangerous for someone trying to beat a train. The greatest danger to some people is themselves.
Andy
[sarcasm directed at the news report]
Well, according to the news report, the train was travelling at "a high rate of speed," so, doubtless, the drivers were not being cautious in their driving of the train
[/sarcasm directed at the news report]
You can't fix stupid-except hit them. Glad no innocents were hurt or killed
Afternoon update.....
Apparently the car involved was leaving the scene of another accident.
Andy- Anyone who lives in this area remembers the Herricks Road crash.
So the driver panicked and fled an accident scene only to drive in front of two trains. Sad and unnecessary deaths but yes, I'm very glad no one else was killed.
Lew
palallin posted:Well, according to the news report, the train was travelling at "a high rate of speed," so, doubtless, the drivers were not being cautious in their driving of the train
Your comment and assumption, in my opinion, shows a lack of respect for the LIRR employees involved in this horrific wreck. CBS news reporters should also have been more aware of how they were describing the accident. The train traveling at that " high rate of speed" was undoubtedly an express train and was running at the authorized legal track speed which is probably in the neighborhood of 60 - 70 mph. That is what express trains are supposed to do. I am sure that the engineer running that express train was exercising all the caution that he or she possibly could and was operating the train within the rules. The entire fault of the accident lies with the deceased driver of the vehicle that illegally drove around the crossing gates for whatever reason. That driver's total lack of regard also caused the deaths of the 2 passengers in that vehicle. Thankfully those were the only fatalities. Lord knows it could have been much worse. Every engineer running freight or passenger trains around the world undoubtedly grits his or her teeth when approaching a grade crossing hoping that no one is going to be stupid enough to try and cross the tracks in front of their train.
Allegheny48:
I would be reasonably sure palallin’s comment was sarcasm directed at the news report. Generally insertion of an eye rolling emoticon is ample evidence of sarcasm.
Curt
juniata guy posted:Allegheny48:
I would be reasonably sure palallin’s comment was sarcasm directed at the news report. Generally insertion of an eye rolling emoticon is ample evidence of sarcasm.
Curt
Thank you, yes. I tried to make it obvious, but I guess I can understand how I was misinterpreted. Let me try to enhance the obviousness.
juniata guy posted:The part of the story that leaves me shaking my head was Cuomo "calling for an investigation". I'm sure the NTSB was sitting back in DC waiting for him to insist they come.
Curt
Edit: After reading a story noted in a following post I see the NTSB will not be involved in the investigation since it is considered a grade crossing accident; something that does not normally fall under their jurisdiction. I’ll retract my righteous indignation...
Cuomo! I will leave it at that..
RSJB18 posted:Afternoon update.....
Apparently the car involved was leaving the scene of another accident.
Andy- Anyone who lives in this area remembers the Herricks Road crash.
Tragic and jaw-dropping. Every grade-crossing safety talk should have this quote in it: "...the crash destroyed the vehicle, leaving only parts of the engine intact."
From the locomotive perspective: You can't drive people's cars for them.
juniata guy posted:Allegheny48:
I would be reasonably sure palallin’s comment was sarcasm directed at the news report. Generally insertion of an eye rolling emoticon is ample evidence of sarcasm.
Curt
Thanks for the clarification of emoticons. I did notice that and used a magnifying glass to try and make it out. Too darned small for my old eyes and I also am not familiar with most of them and their meanings. So, that being said, if I did misinterpret palallin's comment then I apologize. I don't know if any of you get and read the LI Patch online paper. When this was reported the comments left by readers who had no idea what they were writing about was disgusting.
RSJB18 posted:Afternoon update.....
Apparently the car involved was leaving the scene of another accident.
Andy- Anyone who lives in this area remembers the Herricks Road crash.
The loss of life in these crashes is always tragic. To say more about the presumed purpose or intent of the car's driver in going around the gates or ignoring crossing signals is wholly speculative.
This morning's online NYT has a picture of the lead car of the westbound train after it impacted the concrete platform. The engineer left the cab when he saw what was about to happen, and survived with little or no injury. Had he remained, he would at the very least had lost his legs, and at worst, died. The NYT also reports he did manage to get a passenger out of harm's way as well. Kudos to him!
All this because someone took the deliberate decision to go around the gates. Let's call this what it really is: An incident, not an accident.
Chris
LVHR
lehighline posted:This morning's online NYT has a picture of the lead car of the westbound train after it impacted the concrete platform. The engineer left the cab when he saw what was about to happen, and survived with little or no injury. Had he remained, he would at the very least had lost his legs, and at worst, died. The NYT also reports he did manage to get a passenger out of harm's way as well. Kudos to him!
All this because someone took the deliberate decision to go around the gates. Let's call this what it really is: An incident, not an accident.
Chris
LVHR
The engineer was really quick on his feet to realize what was about to happen and leave the cab AND pull a passenger out of harms way. He should be hailed as a hero.
Another point that should be mentioned is that it may have actually been fortunate that the train hit the platform. The tracks in the area are on an elevated grade about 15' above the road. Had the train gone down the embankment we would be having an entirely different discussion.
Back in the 1980's I would commute with my dad into the city. He was on the way to his office at Pfizer HQ and I was going to CBS at 51 West 52nd. Each day he would stand at the same spot on the platform going in from Amityville, and waiting for the 5:36 at Penn on the way home.
I had to ask: why the same spot, the same car, everyday?
Easy answer: he had been commuting on the LIRR since High School, and almost all the crashes were either head-on or rear-end. He always picked a seat in the middle of the train... and if possible in the middle of the car.
In the late 40's and early 50's there was a string of truly gruesome crashes on the LIRR that I'm sure influenced his thoughts.
Jon
Jon:
Your comment about your Dad choosing a part of the train for safety rang a bell.
About a decade ago I was chairman of a large national shippers organization and brought in Annette Sandberg, a former Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as an acting president while we conducted a search for a new “permanent” president. The organization was based in DC and Annette and I would frequently ride Metro together when meeting folks on Capitol Hill or elsewhere in the district. She always insisted on riding in the very first car of a train because, she explained to me, statistically that was the car least likely to be the target of a terrorist attack.
Curt
I wonder where the Motor Carrier person got her statistics? The only American rail passenger death due to terrorism I can think of happened when teh "Sons of Gestapo" sabotaged the track in 1995 near Buckeye, Az and caused the Sunset Limited to wreck. One person, an Amtrak Car Attendant, was killed.
Lew
Beats me Lew; I never bothered to question her on it. Prior to taking the FMCSA job; she had been head of the Washington State Police. My assumption is it was something she picked up on that job rather than at FMCSA.
Too; I think she was talking something more along the lines of a bomb or gunmen taking hostages.
Curt
Weird.
I don't know about the LIRR, but I know engineers on New Jersey Transit and Metro North, when operating from cab/control cars, that used to keep the cab door open to the coach for a quick escape if necessary. I'm not sure if this is still a practice, but it made sense to me.
jim pastorius posted:Weird.
Jim:
I didn’t see it that way. If you are friends with anyone in law enforcement they tend to be acutely aware of what’s going on around them. I’d go so far as to characterize it as always being on guard, especially in public places whether on duty or off.
Since Annette came from a law enforcement background; being constantly on guard was just a part of her nature.
Curt
geysergazer posted:I wonder where the Motor Carrier person got her statistics? The only American rail passenger death due to terrorism I can think of happened when teh "Sons of Gestapo" sabotaged the track in 1995 near Buckeye, Az and caused the Sunset Limited to wreck. One person, an Amtrak Car Attendant, was killed.
Lew
This one from 1939...and they doing 90 mph at the time..
Then the media would complain, outside this wreck, that the LIRR was too s-l-o-w.
Casey Jones2 posted:geysergazer posted:I wonder where the Motor Carrier person got her statistics? The only American rail passenger death due to terrorism I can think of happened when teh "Sons of Gestapo" sabotaged the track in 1995 near Buckeye, Az and caused the Sunset Limited to wreck. One person, an Amtrak Car Attendant, was killed.
Lew
This one from 1939...and they doing 90 mph at the time..
Tnx! I had forgotten about that one. I remember after the Amtrak wreck there were references made back to the City of 'Frisco in '39:
"Mike Furtney, a spokesman for Southern Pacific Railroad, said the derailment
of the companys famous train on Aug. 12, 1939, bears striking similarities to
the crash of Amtraks Sunset Limited near Hyder, Ariz., on Monday.
In the 1939 crash, spikes were removed from railroad ties, angle bars
connecting the rails were removed and wiring was bypassed that would have
warned approaching trains of breaks in the tracks, Furtney said.
Officials say saboteurs carried out similar measures in Mondays crash that
left one person dead and at least 78 injured.
No arrests were ever made in the 1939 crash,"
Jon,
My father did the same thing at Mineola. I went to work with him a few times, and he and a few others stood in the same spots on the platform whether or not they got there first. Makes sense...
Andy
KOOLjock1 posted:Back in the 1980's I would commute with my dad into the city. He was on the way to his office at Pfizer HQ and I was going to CBS at 51 West 52nd. Each day he would stand at the same spot on the platform going in from Amityville, and waiting for the 5:36 at Penn on the way home.
I had to ask: why the same spot, the same car, everyday?
Easy answer: he had been commuting on the LIRR since High School, and almost all the crashes were either head-on or rear-end. He always picked a seat in the middle of the train... and if possible in the middle of the car.
In the late 40's and early 50's there was a string of truly gruesome crashes on the LIRR that I'm sure influenced his thoughts.
Jon
Andy mentioned the Herricks Road incident. I remember it well, as I was in Drivers Ed at the time, and we all had to write about grade crossing safety as part of the class.
https://www.newsday.com/long-i...caemmerer-1.27945755
Jon
Ironically, the School St crossing is scheduled to be eliminated as part of the LIRR 3rd Track project.
http://www.mta.info/news/2018/...ing-lirr-third-track
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