FIVE TEENS KILLED IN CAR/TRAIN COLLISION
A Chicago-bound Amtrak passenger train carrying 170 people collided with a car at a railroad crossing near Detroit on Thursday. All five passengers in the car were killed. The victims ranged in age from 14 to 19.
The railroad crossing has a gate and flashing lights that were believed to be working when the collision occurred. Based on witness accounts, police suspect the sedan went around the gate in an attempt to beat the train. The train travels 67 miles per hour at this particular crossing.
The accident occurred around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday in Wayne County, Michigan, about 20 miles west of Detroit. The vehicle was heading north when it attempted to cross the tracks and was struck. The train pushed the car about one mile from one road crossing to another. The victims remained in the car for more than three hours after the collision while police investigated.
An Amtrak spokesman said that the train crew was doing exactly what it should have been doing and that there was no malfunction of the train.
According to the Federal Railroad Administration, 119 people died in train accidents in which trains struck vehicles or pedestrians at railroad crossings.
The Center for Disease Control reports that a train hits a person or vehicle approximately every two hours. Of these collisions, nearly half occur at crossings with functioning, active warning devices. The CDC urges drivers to remember that trains cannot stop quickly or swerve to avoid collisions - an average train going 55 mph takes more than a mile to stop!
Keep the following safety tips in mind when you approach a railroad crossing:
* LOOK both ways before crossing. Trains can come from either direction.
* Come to a complete stop at all crossings with passive warning devices (no gates or flashing lights). Use caution and be prepared to STOP at all crossings with active warning devices (flashing lights, gates).
* Be aware that trains are much closer and moving faster than they appear to be.
* Never back up or stop on tracks. If gate comes down on the vehicle,
keep going through the crossing.
My most heartfelt condolences to the families of the teens killed in this preventable accident.
The Law Offices of Jeffrey J. Kroll has litigated several train accident cases with excellent results. If you or a loved one has been injured in a train accident, please contact us.
