Orange County Personal Injury Lawyer - Railroad Accidents

Train Smashes into Truck on Railroad Tracks

Chrissie Cole — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 07:52:45 GMT

An Amtrak train traveling northbound struck a large truck that was parked next to the railroad tracks, on Tuesday night. The train accident happened at 9:25 p.m., the driver of the truck was not at the scene and no one was injured.

The big rig was parked to close to the train tracks, according to California Highway Patrol.

Authorities are investigating the accident and are unsure why the truck was left alongside the tracks. At this time CHP is trying to determine who was driving the truck prior to the accident.

The train was coming from San Diego and heading to Santa Barbara, transporting 150 passengers who were evacuated as a result of the fires which have been burning in San Diego County all week.

Amtrak provided buses that picked up the passengers for the remainder of their trip. The rest of the passengers were picked up by friends and family.

The train received some damage in the accident but the railroad tracks were not damaged.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Two Killed In Pedestrian-Train Accidents within Hours

Chrissie Cole — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 07:49:21 GMT

Two pedestrians were killed within a nine-hour span of one another, Thursday, in two separate railroad accidents in the Bay Area.

Union Pacific officials report a Newark woman was killed after being struck by a freight train at 3:04 a.m. while walking across the train tracks on Cedar Blvd. The accident is currently under investigation.

Barely eight hours after the first accident authorities across the San Francisco Bay in San Mateo, reported an unidentified pedestrian was killed after being struck by a Caltrain commuter train.

The train was traveling north when it struck the pedestrian at the 9th Avenue at 11:40 a.m., according to a Caltrain spokesman. The pedestrian-train accident is being investigated by Transit Police and San Mateo Police.

In 2006, California had the second highest number of deaths at train crossings with 36 fatalities, according to Operation Livesaver. Texas had the most deaths, 42.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Four Injured when Train Collides with Big Rig

Chrissie Cole — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 21:18:56 GMT

Due to miscommunication, four people were injured in a train accident when an Amtrak train crashed into a big rig on Friday, leaving passengers stranded for hours.

Tire Yard of Omaha that belongs to the train maintenance company was crossing the tracks to prepare for work when the train suddenly came around the bend. The train, traveling at 50 to 60 mph hit the truck on the driver's side, according to California Highway Patrol.

The truck driver escaped the truck, he was transported by helicopter to John Muir Medical Center where is condition is unknown at this time.

Upon impact of the collision, the train engineer may have suffered heart problems, according to CHP. It took rescuers over two hours to remove the engineer from the train so he could be transported to the hospital.

Two passengers suffered minor injuries.

The crew foreman repairing the train said there was a miscommunication between his employees and the flag crew that was responsible for alerting them. Why the crew was not alerted to the train approaching is being investigated by officials.

For more information on this subject matter, please review our section on Airline, Cruise, Bus, and Other Mass Transit Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Two People Killed, One Hurt in Metro Train Accident

Christina Cole — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 19:29:11 GMT

A train accident, Sunday, claimed the life of a man and girl while leaving a woman in serious condition. Apparently, a motorist was attempting to get around a train crossing gate when they drove into the path of a Metro train, authorities said.

The crash happened at approximately 2 p.m. at Barranca Avenue and San Bernardino Road.

The train was transporting 137 passengers at the time of the accident and was heading from Union Station to Riverside when crashing into a car whole driver is believed to have been trying to beat the train through the intersection.

A man and girl inside the vehicle, died at the scene and the woman was airlifted to the hospital, listed in serious condition. None of the train passengers received any injuries. The accident is still being investigating and there aren't any further details as of yet.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Occupants Survive Crash with Amtrak Train

Christina Cole — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 20:34:43 GMT

A man and his son are lucky to be alive after the truck they were driving struck an Amtrak train, Wednesday, on Highway 140.

The truck vs. train accident happened at 9:15 a.m. when the 16-year-old drive was driving a 2003 Ford F150 truck, heading westbound, with his Father in the passenger seat, according to California Highway Patrol.

Officials say the driver lost control of the truck after trying to pass a slow moving vehicle. The driver then left the road and drove onto the dirt area where the railroad tracks are located.

At that same moment, an Amtrak train was barreling eastbound traveling 79 miles per hour and the truck sideswipes the train. The truck hit one of the passenger cars on the train, but no one was injured in the accident.

Criminal charges will most likely not be brought against the driver, although a passenger car of the train did receive minor damage.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Amtrak Train Collides with SUV, Killing Six

Christina Cole — Wed, 09 May 2007 16:14:23 GMT

A woman and her five children were killed, Tuesday, in a railroad accident when her SUV collided with an Amtrak train.

None of the passengers or crew members aboard the train received any injuries, a spokeswoman for Amtrak said.

The driver of a Chevrolet Tracker sopped on the tracks prior to the railroad crossing arms came down, just before 2 p.m. She tried to back up and then pull forward to escape the train that was quickly approaching.

When the driver attempted to back up, she hit the railroad arm and she decided at the last minute to try and get across the tracks, and she did not make it," Chief of the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District said.

One of the SUV passengers was ejected from the vehicle. The other passengers were inside the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. The car was dragged almost a mile down the track after the crash, with the vehicle wrapped around the front of the train.

The SUV was driven by a female with five young passengers, said California Highway Patrol. The other passengers included two young boys in car seats, another boy between 6 and 8-years of age and two teenage girls.

Officials are interviewing witnesses to piece together the sequence of events leading up to the deadly collision.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Man Loses Leg in Train Accident

Christina Cole — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 21:00:12 GMT

A 22-year-old man out drinking with friends, had his leg severed when he was struck by a train after he slipped on the train tracks on Saturday, according to a San Diego County Sheriff.

The man was with his friends who were reportedly drinking prior to the accident and disregarded the posted "no trespassing" signs in front of the tracks, said a San Diego Deputy. The man was transported to Scripps Memorial Hospital. It is unknown which leg was severed or how the unidentified man is doing.

The accident occurred on the tracks at 8th Street, just after 6:40 on Friday evening. Witnesses report a group of teens were running down a small hill toward the tracks when the victim slipped and fell, just before being hit by the northbound Coaster train.

The accident is currently under investigation.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

California Train vs. Vehicle Fatalities on the Rise

Christina Cole — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 22:59:44 GMT

According to statistics from the Federal Railroad Administration, in 2006, 36 people were killed in a train vs. vehicle collision in California. A 63 percent rise from the previous year.

California, second to Texas, had 42 fatalities in highway-railroad crossing accidents. However, overall 2006 was a safer year for railroads in the state.

Total train accidents in California dropped 12 percent during 2006, compared to the prior year.

"This accomplishment is even more impressive considering rail traffic was at its highest point in history in 2006," says Edward Hamberger, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads, a lobbying group for the industry. "Quite simply, we moved more freight, with fewer accidents."

2006 was the safest year for railroad employees, in terms of injury and fatalities and rates. The Federal Railroad Administration data shows that human error- the leading cause for train accidents - declined 20.2 percent.

The FRA says they have reduced accident rates by 70 percent since 1980. Employee injury rates by 81 percent. And finally over that same duration, crossing collision rates have fallen 76 percent.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Pedestrian Hit by Train

Christina Cole — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 01:35:29 GMT

Train Strikes Pedestrian.

On Saturday evening at approximately 6:06pm, a pedestrian was injured when a train derailed and hit the person on Old Santa Cruz Highway, reports a California Highway Patrol Officer.

The location of the pedestrian accident was reported as being 22412 Old Santa Cruz Highway at the intersection with Summit Rd.

At this time, no further details have been released and the accident is still being investigated by the California Highway Patrol.

If you or a family member has been injured in a train accident or pedestrian accident and would like to contact an attorney for free, please do so using the form at right.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Metrolink Train Wreck - Three Serious Injuries

IB Contributor — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 09:47:29 GMT

Riverside-Corona crossing has high accident rate.

According to a story in the Press Enterprise, Metrolink Train 804 slammed into a van that then hit another car early Friday evening during rush hour. Five people were taken to hospitals, three in serious condition. None of the passengers on the Metrolink train were injured according to Riverside fire Battalion Chief Mike Esparza.

The accident occurred at Magnolia Avenue near Buchanan Street at the Riverside-Corona boarder which is one of the most dangerous railroad crossing in Riverside County. There has been at least six accidents at this railroad crossing in the last decade, the most for any crossing in Riverside County.

What is puzzling to me is that this railroad crossing is known to be one of the most danger dangerous in Riverside County, so why hasn't the county, the railroad or Metrolink taken the simple, cost effective steps to make it safer? My theory, there are so many laws built into our nation's legal system to protect railroads from personal injury lawsuits that those responsible for railroad crossing safety are not concerned about being held financially responsible for crossing accidents. Therefore, railroad crossing safety is not much of a priority.

Although railroad crossing accident cases are much more difficult to pursue, we do handle them. Currently, we are representing the families of two young adults that were fatally injured at a negligently maintained crossing.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by IB Contributor