California Commuter Train Accident Continues Concerns over Railway Grade Crossings

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating a commuter train accident in Southern California that left nearly 50 people injured four seriously. The Los Angeles-bound train slammed into a pick-up truck, hauling a trailer loaded with welding equipment.

Initial reports said that it appeared the truck driver had made a wrong turn and ended up on the tracks where it became stuck as the train approached. Three train cars were overturned; two others derailed, but remained upright.  The force of the impact ripped the truck apart and left the twisted wreckage smoldering for hours.  The truck driver, who was not hurt, left the scene on foot and was found walking and disoriented less than two miles away.

According to media reports, the crossing, which combines a rail crossing and a road intersection, is known to be dangerous and the site of at least five other accidents involving trains since 2008.  The last incident was in June 2014, which left two dead.  In the wake of a 2005 train accident, the Southern California Regional Rail Authority launched a project designed to improve grade crossings, to build safer cars and locomotives, and to use automatic train stops and onboard rail video cameras.  A Metrolink spokesperson said the accident could have been catastrophic if the train was not equipped with an emergency breaking system and the rail cars did not have safety features that helped absorb the energy of the crash. But, the accident shows that technical upgrades alone cannot prevent accidents.  Local lawmakers said federal funds are needed to construct an overpass for the crossing that was first proposed more than a decade ago.

In a media briefing the following day, Robert Sumwalt of the National Transportation Safety Board said the truck was not stuck and it was not bottomed out on the track leaving many questions.  He also said investigators would examine the train's recorders and seek to determine if crossing arms and bells were functioning properly. 

 

The NTSB has been concerned with grade crossing accidents; over 2,000 grade crossing accidents occur every year nationally, killing about 250 people.  The crash came three weeks after a Metro-North commuter train struck a car at a crossing outside New York City and derailed in a fiery accident that killed six people.

• Lights will start to flash at least 20 seconds before the train arrives.

• Be aware that trains cannot stop quickly. Even if the conductor sees you, a train moving 55 miles per hour can take a mile or more to stop once the emergency brakes are applied. That's 18 football fields.

• Never drive around lowered gates.

• Do not get trapped on the tracks; proceed through a highway-rail grade crossing only if you are sure you can completely clear the crossing without stopping.

• If your vehicle ever stalls on a track with a train coming, abandon your vehicle immediately. Get out and move quickly away from the tracks in the direction from which the train is coming. If you run in the same direction the train is traveling, when the train hits your car you could be injured by flying debris.

• If a signal or gate is not working, write down the number on the device and call the 800 number listed or local police.

Mark Bello is the CEO and General Counsel of Lawsuit Financial Corporation, a pro-justice lawsuit funding company.