Train Accident
Train Derailments
A train derails about every ninety minutes in the US. This is because railroads are effectively self-regulated and few attempts have been made to examine or improve their safety by the federal government. Rail companies rely on technology that was developed seventy years ago, and in that time few measures have been made to improve safety. While few people are killed in these accidents, train derailments cause damage to property, and in some cases the environment. A train carrying hazardous materials derails about every two weeks. Sometimes this situations are so serious that local residents need to be evacuated.Pedestrian Related Accidents
Being near trains either at a station, a crossing, or just the tracks themselves is always a hazardous activity as a pedestrian. Around three hundred people die in train related accidents in the US each year. (http://oli.org/about-us/news/collisions-casulties) A good portion of these deaths are suicides but many of these deaths are not by design. Hitching a ride on a moving train is a very dangerous activity practiced by many that results in grievous injuries and often death. Sometimes a pedestrian will fall into the path of a train and be unable to get out of the way before the train passes.Car Related Accidents
Railroad crossings are a very dangerous place for motorists if not approached with the proper caution. There are about 5,800 car related train accidents each year in the US and the majority of these occur at railroad crossings. (http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/default.aspx ) It is important to be patient at a railroad crossing and don’t push your luck when the crossing lights go off. Don’t think the train will see you or be able to stop if you get stuck on the tracks. A one hundred and fifty car freight train traveling at fifty miles an hour takes over a mile to stop. Another common form of car/train accident occurs when the car driver is unable to see the train and runs into it. This happens most often at night and at crossings with inadequate warning devices. According to some studies, 80% of railroad crossings in the US do not have adequate warning devices.Chicago, IL
Evening rush hour traffic could be affected after a Metra crash near an I-94 exit in the north suburbs.
Los Angeles, CA
A pedestrian was struck and killed by a Metro Gold Line train in South Pasadena Saturday afternoon, officials said.
San Diego, CA
The man who was struck and killed by an oncoming train while running after his dog near the train tracks Friday afternoon in Del Mar, Calif., has been identified as Louis "Lou" Terrell, a former mayor and city councilman.
Raleigh-Durham, NC
A woman was killed and a man injured Thursday morning when an Amtrak passenger train hit a car at a rail crossing in Cary, officials said.
The collision occurred shortly before 11:30 a.m. at a Maynard Road crossing near Old Apex Road.
Spokane, WA
A woman was killed Tuesday afternoon when her car was struck by a BNSF train in Bonner County, Idaho, a BNSF spokesman said. The woman, who wasn’t identified, pulled in front of the engine at a railroad crossing at Heath Lake Road, near Sagle at 4:22 p.m.
Oklahoma City, OK
A Waynoka man died after his vehicle collided with a passing train Monday. Michael Linn Weber, 47, was killed about 5:05 p.m. Monday as he was driving south on County Road 480, a half mile east of County Road 470 in Woods County.
Fargo-Valley City, ND
Ventura, CA
One person is dead and another person injured after a vehicle slammed into an Amtrak train in Camarillo on Monday.