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This is so sad - a train hit an SUV that was on the tracks and two children were thrown from the vehicle and died. Traffic blocked the SUV from backing up - horrible story - never, EVER stop on the tracks. I've had people honk like crazy at me to move closer but I refuse to stop on the tracks.
Yeah, to all the Johnny/Janey Road Rages out there, think about this next time you're laying on the horn behind me when I slow down in front of train tracks. Same thing happened to friends of my parents several years ago back north, except in that case the traffic signals and arm thingies failed to work. Now I never, ever approach train tracks without slowing down and checking both ways first.
This situation has always terrified me, being stopped on the tracks waiting for a light or traffic when a train approaches. I always try to not block intersections when waiting for a light (love the horn honkers behind me) and have never stopped on a rail crossing.
I feel so sorry for this family. Although a horrible tragedy at any time of the year, having this happen immediately before the Christmas period makes it even more cruel. What is normally one of the happiest times of the year (assuming Christian faith) will be marked by inconsolable grief for a lifetime.
yes, that poor mom. she is going to have to live the rest of her life knowing she is the cause of her kids death because she did something stupid. it's bad enough when accidents happen, but when you do something really stupid and inexcusable, it's hard to ever recover from that.
yes, that poor mom. she is going to have to live the rest of her life knowing she is the cause of her kids death because she did something stupid. it's bad enough when accidents happen, but when you do something really stupid and inexcusable, it's hard to ever recover from that.
That's awfully harsh. This is a dangerous intersection that often gets clogged, and from what I've read she found herself trapped between the gates, stuck between other cars that were in in way (also waiting in the line of traffic) when the gates came down.
"Traffic was so congested that it was bumper to bumper, all the way across the tracks," he said. "The train was coming, but she [the driver] couldn't get out of the way. She couldn't go forward or backward. She was stuck on the tracks."
I'm sure more details will come out as the investigation proceeds.
UPDATE: The N&O has more on this today, echoing what was reported in the Durham Herald Sun yesterday:
"She tried to back up," said a woman in a 911 call released Thursday. "She couldn't. She was blocked. She was just forced to stay there and the train hit."
Investigators were at the crash scene Thursday, still trying to determine exactly what happened. State officials are exploring what steps they can take to correct issues at a rail crossing that has now seen 11 accidents, two of them fatal, since 1975.
Last edited by CHTransplant; 12-11-2009 at 07:07 AM..
Trains and traffic are also a fact of life in Greensboro, where I lived for years. When traffic is congested approaching a railroad track, always leave at least one car length in front of you. Never pull up on the tracks if there is even the remotest possibility that the cars are going to suddenly stop and leave you trapped there. Never, never. Maybe it's a Greensboro thing, but nobody ever honked at me or tried to get around me for doing this, and if they did I wouldn't care.
The RR level crossing infrastructure is very different in Europe, where I also used to live. At the nearest crossing to my house in Sweden, they had much more substantial barriers and they closed with considerably more "lead time" before the train arrived. First the barrier on the north side slowwwwly came down, then a good 20 seconds later the other barrier came down, giving anybody who might be on the tracks plenty of time to move before the train arrived at least 60 seconds AFTER the last barrier closed. But then again, there were many pedestrians and bicycles in the area too, so they had to play it extra safe.
Having said that, my heart breaks for this mother and her sons. I hate that we have to have something as salient as this tragedy to teach RR safety. Please be alert, everyone!
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One of my greatest fears
