Metrolink 111 Crashes with Freight Train, Kills Six (possibly more) in Chatsworth
Posted by Shelby York @ 9/12/2008 06:32:00 PM
Friday, September 12, 2008
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11 Comments:
All live streams for the crash here.
I'm not going to update the fatalities of this sad, tragic story.
I posted this in case you're trying to catch a train or locate a loved one.
This was posted on the Daily News blog last nite! it makes me think twice about ever riding the Metrolink!
Quote:
"I am absolutely heartbroken that another Metrolink crash has occurred, and that more people were seriously injured and killed AGAIN. I was a passenger in the 2003 Burbank Metrolink crash.
My lawyer, Jerry Ringler, had been working on the legal issues pertaining to the "not crashworthy" state of Metrolink's train cars before the Burbank crash, i.e. since the fatal Metrolink crash in Placentia in 2002. When he had his train car engineering experts in that Placentia case go to examine the destroyed train car from that Placentia crash, Metrolink "switched" the train cars and had his experts examine a train car from the 2003 Burbank crash. For some reason they didn't want his experts to see a train car which had been in a crash with a freight train, like the one today.
Mr. Ringler and his partners at Ringler Kearney Alvarez were the lead lawyers for the passengers injured in the Burbank and Glendale crashes. Metrolink vehemently fought against taking any financial responsibility for using un-crashworthy train cars in the Glendale case.
Now again, we get to see the details of what Metrolink train cars look like when they are ripped open, taking out the floor beneath passengers' seats and taking out the walls next to the passengers. I can say from personal experience that the insides of the Metrolink train cars, seats, wall panels, celing panels, and chrome hardware are strewn all over the place in a crash. I was pinned under that wreckage, injured and had the misfortune of smelling the next car on our train burning. I can imagine the terror of passengers pinned in the wreckage in this crash, smelling the fires which I saw burning on TV today.
I have seen the disgusting sight of the Metrolinks train cars ripped open in both the Glendale and now the Chatsworth crashes. I liken these train cars to cheap tin cans.
It doesn't matter whether the Metrolink trains are in push or pull mode. They are uncrashworthy. What is particularly sickening to me is that I have seen the photographs from a very serious passenger train crash which occurred a year or so ago, in England. That train line is owned by Richard Branson. His train cars are not tin cans and they were not ripped open by the impact of a collision or derailment. No one was killed in that English crash, and there were only minor injuries. When interviewed by the TImes of London Mr. Branson said he was happy he spent the extra money to buy the sturdier train cars. I wish Metrolink had done the same after my crash.
We now have at least 26 Metrolink passengers who have been killed since my crash and it is the fault of Metrolink's senior employees and board members because they continue to insist on using un-crashworthy tin cans to transport the public.
Next time you vote, please remember that the Board of Directors of Metrolink, who repeatedly make the decisions to use these unsafe, un-crashworthy train cars, are all high level Southern California elected officials. I am talking about members of Boards of Supervisors and mayors of major Southern California cities. By looking at Metrolink's website, normally I could tell you the names of the elected officials who voted to keep these train cars. However, Metrolink has taken down its website, except for its emergency notice, thereby hiding the names of the elected officials responsible for these 26 deaths and hundreds of serious injuries"
Ceremony during rescue?
How about rescuing others first.
Channel 2 just reported that the engineer, a MEXICAN named ROBERT SANCHEZ, was text messaging just seconds before the crash!!!!
He sent 3 text messages to some teenagers who were train buffs, and considered SANCHEZ to be their mentor! They were going to meet him after his run was finished to talk about trains!
Heads are going to roll over this one! SANCHEZ worked for a Metrolink sub-contractor...in other words, Metrolink is outsourcing their engineer jobs!!!! More cheap labor!!!!
Remarkable that Metrolink accepted responsibility without making excuses. And admirable.
That will frustrate those who frequent this blog pointing fingers at the usual suspects whether they're involved or not. But there's still plenty of time.
Is this the same Board of Directors that Bernard Parks and Villaraigosa are on?
Can someone please tell me what the FRA is? Antonio mentioned in press conf. last night regarding those who will be investigating with FBI.
5:42
The Mexicans did it?
5:42 YOUR A Fuc*** MORON!
FRA = Federal Railroad Administration
I happen to be a conductor on the Union Pacific Railroad and for the record it is a cardinal rule violation to be using a cell phone, laptop, PDA, or any other form of distraction while operating a train. This not only goes for the engineer and conductor but anybody else who happens to be in the cab of the train while it is in motion. It is for just such reasons that these rules exist the discipline on the U.P. for this violation is immediate termination. As it is for most of the nations Railroads.
My thoughts and prayers go to all who have been affected by this tragedy
I BELIEVE IT WAS 25 PEOPLE WHO DIED. SADLY METROLINK WILL NOT SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS WHY THE PERSON ON THE STREET NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN THERE GOVERNMENT SO THEY CAN HAVE A VOICE THAT COUNTS. THESE THINGS DO NOT HAVE TO HAPPEN. IT'S BAD CHOICES THAT LEAD TO THESE ACCIDENTS. WE DO HAVE CLEAN SAFE ALTERNATIVES FOR TRANSPORTATION WITHOUT EFFECTING THE ENVIRONMENT BUT GET THESE POLITICOS TO LISTEN IS ANOTHER MATTER.
GET "LAURA CHICK AS MAYOR" AND CLEAN UP THIS MESS BEFORE MORE PEOPLE DIE HAVEN'T THEY HEARD OF ACCOUNTABILITY LETS GET SOME!!!
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