L.A. Train Wreck

[Chemical Ollie]

We had a similar but smaller train accident in my town a few months ago. Only one train involved, and only 1-2 dead, but similar devastation. A truck driver tried to cross the track despite the gates being closed, got stuck and didn't make it in time. The train hit the back of the truck and derailed. The train driver and perhaps another person in the front part was killed (can't remember) and dozens badly wounded. I go by that train to the airport whenever I'm on business trips, and I use to sit in front, only meters from the driver.

[Chemical Ollie]

Originally posted by Winston
I doubt he'll live very long, evenmoreso now that his name is out (LA Times among others).

My thoughts and sympathies to the many people affected by this meaningless tragedy.

Yeah, someone might "help" him finish the business he bailed out from.

[Ted Striker]

Weak, what an *******. I hope he gets some good punishment medieval style.

Now a bunch of people are dead.

[Adam Smith]

Originally posted by St Leo
In movies, trains that hit cars don't derail.

A few years back I did a study of major train accidents in the US. If you look closely at the bottom photograph that you posted, you can get a good idea of what happened.

On the center track is the inbound train which was initially involved in the collision. On the right is a relatively undamaged car on its side, unattached to the inbound train. This is the last remaining car of the outbound passenger train, the rest being relatively undamaged and hauled away by the time this photograph was taken. At the bottom left are two other locomotives, different color and type than the locomotive at the top of the picture. These were on the freight train that the inbound passenger train ran into.

The inbound passenger train was traveling cars first when it hit. (Operating cars first is a common commuter train practice which avoids having to turn the train at either end of the run. The engineer would have been in the front of the first car and was likely killed or badly injured.) The cars are much lighter than the locomotive, which was pushing the cars from behind. As a result, the cars sustained heavy damage and were pushed off the track. If the heavier locomotive had been leading the train, it would have air-mailed the SUV, everything else would have pretty much stayed in place, and likely only a few people would have been injured. (Locomotives have reinforced crash protection which limits damage in crashes.)

One thing I don't understand is why the engineer of the inbound train was not able to slow down more. The tranck appears to be straight, and being on the center of three tracks he should have had decent visibility even going around a moderate curve.

[Combat Ingrid]

Could it be that he hoped to somehow get insurance money for the wrecked car?

[Giancarlo]

*loads rifle*

I'll be back in a while. I'm going... umm.. to... a friend's house.

[:) Smiley]

In a sick way this is a perfect metaphor for transportation in the USA.

[St Leo]

The SUV killed the train.

[Kontiki]

I'd say it's a bit of a miracle more people didn't die. Sad enough, though.

[Urban Ranger]

It's quite fortunate that only 9 died as of now.

[Dis]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
coward. if he's going to **** other people over, the least he could have done was die along with them.

and i mean that.

that would make him a terrorist.

[Chemical Ollie]

The terrorist who aren't suicidal are more dangerous, because they can do it again, and even get better at it.

[St Leo]

Originally posted by Dissident
that would make him a terrorist.

Only if the intent was to alter people's behaviour for an end through terror.

[Rex Little]

Latest news has 11 dead, over 180 injured. This happened just a few miles from where my in-laws live, and right around the corner from where they lived before that. My wife played in that very railroad yard when she was little.

Not sure if I mean this seriously, but here's something to think about. Suppose there were places where someone could go and say "I want to kill myself", and be given a painless lethal injection, no questions asked. Perhaps this guy would have done that instead of parking his SUV in front of a train. There have been plenty of other cases where people committed suicide in ways which killed or hurt others (and I'm not talking about the ones who intended to do that, like the 9-11 hijackers or the Columbine killers). Maybe we should make it easier for the suicidal to get their wish without causing collateral damage.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Rex Little
Maybe we should make it easier for the suicidal to get their wish without causing collateral damage.

Exactly how hard is it too buy a rope and hang yourself? Or hell kill yourself with carbon monoxide poisoning with the SUV you were planning on murdering other people with?