Two years ago, a fatal accident occurred when a car was struck by a train. The car had gotten between the two guardrails and was unable to get out of the way of a train traveling 60 mph. Then this past weekend, another crash occurred in the same spot.
Any type of motor vehicle accident can result in severe injuries. But when the collision is between a car and a Tri-Rail train, the damages can be catastrophic. This most recent car-train crash left 11 people injured.
According to the sheriff’s office, a vehicle got stuck on the train tracks. The three people in the car tried to get the car off the tracks but were unsuccessful. As the train came toward them, they ran for safety. The car, however, was stuck on the tracks and was hit.
While the driver and passengers of the car were not injured, the impact caused the train car to shake. Some thought that the train had derailed while many of the train’s passengers tried to exit the train car. Eleven people were hurt.
Police were still investigating the incident, likely trying to determine how the car ended up stuck on the tracks. There is also no information about whether any charges will be filed, either against the train’s driver or the car’s driver.
A bigger question that residents may have is whether this could occur again. Is there something unsafe about the train crossings? If so, should the county be responsible for taking steps to reduce the risk of train crossing accidents in the future?
Source: Orlando Sentinel: “Passenger thought train derailed, but it hit a car stuck on the tracks,” Ihosvani Rodriguez and Michelle Turnbell, Nov. 7, 2011
