Have you ever witnessed a train accident?

Question

Some time ago I saw a car try to creep across the RR tracks at a level crossing. The lights were flashing and there was a bell ringing, he was at the front of the line and I was three cars back. Though he was stopped and safe, he decided to get across the tracks, even though the train was bearing down on us, and he was broadsided.

The train didn't even seem to shudder and the car was quickly whisked away out of sight, the driver was pronounced dead on the scene.

Everyone was milling about, not believing what had happened and being interviewed by police.

It was just so unreal the way it happened.

Answer 1

yes once but that was minor one as train was passenger train that derailed. no major casualities was reported and i have to walk few kilometre to take bus journey

Answer 2

Never

Answer 3

Yup. I'm an engineer so I've seen a number of them. Both highway and railroad crossings, as well as train accidents with other rail equipment. Fortunately, non of the mishaps I've been involved with have resulted in a fatality. Very thankful for that. Even hit a young man once in 1993 who was walking on the tracks. My speed was 19 mph at the time I ran over him. He went down between the rails and I stopped some 10  railcar lengths later. All it did was knock him out for 5 minutes. I gave him 10 minutes of he11 for that. Now he's a cop, and we go for coffee together every time I have a lay-over in his town.

Answer 4

I also am an engineer and have experienced this first hand.  I hit a empty passenger car one time that was fouling the tracks, the driver missed the crossing and saddle bagged the car on the crossing.  Thank god it was empty at the time.  I doubt anyone would have been hurt bad, but the thought still scares me.  I recently hit a guy laying along the tracks passed out drunk.  He was outside of the rail but still on the ties.  He is the luckiest guy I know of.  He walked away from that one with minor cuts and bruises.  Like hog-head and derail said it keeps playing over and over in slow motion in my head, I constantly ask what I could have done differently. Its a weird feeling seeing the person and slamming the big handle then all you can do is wait, you feel like you are helpless.  It may be fascinating to watch on TV but in real life its much different.

Answer 5

Several.

There are a few engineers like Rango, derail, myself and others who visit here regularly.  We have all experienced a grade crossing (as well as other) types of accidents.

When an engineer sees an automobile, truck or pedestrian that is going to be hit (and the crew knows it long before the victims do) time compresses and everything seems to go into slow motion.

Although I have hit a pedestrian, an automobile and two pickup trucks, all involved got away with their lives.  That makes me one lucky s.o.b.  Your average engineer will experience at least three fatalities over a 30 year career.

The accidents referred to here were absolutely 100% preventable.  Two were at grade crossings where the gates and other safety devices were working properly.  One was due to a drunk driver trying to cross the tracks where there was no crossing at all, and got hung up.  The pedestrian was a kid who had his first day on the job as a maintenance of way employee.

This does not take into account the hundreds of "near misses."

When it comes to being around railroad right of way, YOU are your own protector and nothing, not bells, whistles, lights, gates (or crew members) can do anything to save you.  And, these are merely electronic devices.  Electro-mechanical devices can and do fail, including crossing protection.

There is only one way to guarantee safe crossing of ANY railroad tracks:

1. STOP  (granted, not always an option)

2. LOOK  (requires turning your head)

3. LISTEN  (turn off the music, put down the cell phone, roll down the window)

In North America, when taken as an average, someone gets tagged about every 20 minutes or so.  This is second only to drunk driver accidents which happen every 15 minutes.

There is one other thing to consider.  Your accounting of the accident you witnessed tells you where a couple of cars back when this jerk got nailed.  If at a crossing, give yourself some room.  Often times when vehicles are struck, particularly at high speed, they tend to come apart.  An exploding car can hurt you as well, if you wind up with a car motor in your lap or a pick up truck's contents raining down on you.

And, the train doesn't shudder.  You know what is behind that formidible pilot plow on the front of the locomotive?  2 inch boiler plate.  And do you know what's behind that?  8, 10, 12 or even 16,000 tons of train.  That is 32,000,000 (MILLION) pounds!  And, it has all that inertia behind it when under way.

So, use your head or lose your life.  Nothing is simpler...

Answer 6

I was in the car, it was really terrible, the crash was so quick and violent I spilt my coffee. ( I wasn't driving) I wouldn't do such a thing.

Answer 7

Unfortunately I have, from inside the locomotive cab.

It is just as surreal from the cab as what you saw.

You keep wishing the clock would back up so you could live tht moment again and change something.

Not something that leaves you anytime soon.

one word that keeps going through your mind

WHY?

over and over

WHY??

Answer 8

There was a guy her in KC that was talking on his cell phone that WALKED in front of a moving train.

Answer 9

Man, that would suck to see. I'm have never seen one but i dont really want to either. thats really sad.

Answer 10

yes,on television screen (exclusive) not live

Answer 11

yes in tamilnadu

a male elephant,female elephantand a new born elephant where crossing the railway track

and the elephants all died on the spot and theyoung got struck below the train

i cried

Answer 12

I was on a train that demolished a tractor-trailer that was carrying a load that was over its maximum bearing weight.  The trailer bed had gotten stuck on the the RR crossing.  The train I was on, slammed into it not at its normal 70mph speed, but at a reduced 40mph, thanks to the engineer's ability to apply some breaking.  nevertheless, the tractor trailer was demolished, although the driver had escaped his cab in time.  It felt like we had run into a solid wall, though.  I was sitting facing the rear of the train, in the second car from the from, and the force of the impact, picked me up out of my seat and slammed me back into the back rest.  I wasn't hurt, but I was clearly shaken, like everyone else!

Answer 13

omg i almost cried that's way to bad what was that person think do you know if there was anyone else in the car? and no i haven't even seen a real train