News & Politics - Metro train collision in Washington-area takes lives

**vc318** · 06-22-2009, 04:03 PM

Two killed in Washington-area Metro train collision - CNN.com

Two killed in Washington-area Metro train collision

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A rush-hour collision Monday between two Metro trains north of downtown Washington, D.C., killed at least two people, a Metro official said.

The crash occurred just before 5 p.m. on an above-ground track on the Red Line near Takoma Park, Maryland, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

Two people were killed as a result of the crash, said Carlotta Tyler, a Metro spokeswoman.

At least nine people have been hurt, a Metro representative said, according to CNN affiliate WJLA.

Officials at two area hospitals said they were told to expect injured patients. Video Watch report from the scene »

Video from WJLA showed much of one Metro car on top of another. Both trains were on the same track, said John Catoe, Metro general manager. Beyond that, he was unable to say why the crash occurred.

"We will find what happened and will fix what happened," Catoe said.

Emergency personnel helped injured passengers, some on stretchers, from the wreckage, video from CNN affiliate WUSA shows. Video Watch injured passengers limp from the scene »

Fire department personnel were cutting through the trains and were still in the process of getting people from the wreckage, officials said at a press briefing.

The incident began when a six-car Red Line train derailed between Fort Totten and Takoma, Metro spokeswoman Kathy Asata said, according to WJLA. It then collided with another train, she said.

Jodie Wickett, a nurse who was a passenger on one of the trains, said she was was texting on her phone when she felt a bump.

"About 5-10 seconds later, the train came to a complete halt -- we went flying," Jodie Wickett said.

She said she went through some of the cars, trying to help people.

"There was debris and people pinned underneath," she said.

Ten to 15 minutes passed before she saw emergency personnel, she said.

Hugh Webster, an eyewitness who wasn't on the train, said he heard what sounded like an explosion.

"[There were] a lot of people being carried off in stretchers and such. A lot of people were hurt there," Webster said.

Such a horrific thing to happen but the casualties could've been much worse.

MTVVJ08 · 06-22-2009, 04:20 PM

UPDATE: FOUR people have died so far.

I live a STOP away from where this happened....please everyone pray for the people here in DC...its really crazy up here.

The worst thing is that i could have been on it...my thoughts go out to everyone.

**vc318** · 06-22-2009, 04:54 PM

^ I just saw online that the numbers went up.

This is very sad.

**TheAngel** · 06-22-2009, 05:59 PM

I just saw that and my heart skipped a beat. My aunt used to live and work in DC but she just moved out of the city a few months ago. It's so sad. I wonder what happened. Normally those trains operate quite well.

**sunnykerr** · 06-22-2009, 07:57 PM

I don't get it. I mean, this is horrific and awful and twelve kinds of tragic, but I simply don't get how something like this happens.

We have metros in Montreal. They don't leave a station unless the next one is clear. And they slow the HECK down before pulling in to a new station. It's actually a pain.

My point being that the people in charge of public transportation in DC have some SERIOUS questions to answer. Who fell asleep at the wheel on this one?

MTVVJ08 · 06-23-2009, 02:58 AM

I dont know how this happened. But I live right near where the accident was so getting into work today is going to be nothing short of complicated. :/

Also the death toll rose to nine people. This is just horrific in every sense of the word.

LittleMilkJug · 06-23-2009, 05:19 AM

So sad

**vc318** · 06-23-2009, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunnykerr (View Post)

My point being that the people in charge of public transportation in DC have some SERIOUS questions to answer. Who fell asleep at the wheel on this one?

Now that I think about it, isn't there supposed to be something on the track that let's another train know that a train is coming at them so that they can switch tracks? At least there is a speaker or something on each train so that they can communicate with one another!

**TheAngel** · 06-23-2009, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vc318 (View Post)

Now that I think about it, isn't there supposed to be something on the track that let's another train know that a train is coming at them so that they can switch tracks? At least there is a speaker or something on each train so that they can communicate with one another!

It was probably a communications or computer glitch. The computer glitches, gives the signal that the track was clear, and the train goes. When these things are created by humans, something's going to go wrong, it's inevitable.

**vc318** · 06-23-2009, 10:52 AM

I guess these trains are supposed to come equipped with a "black box" like they have on planes when some sort of emergency arises. Well, now they're saying that the train was probably too old to come equipped with one. I don't see how that's even acceptable.

MTVVJ08 · 06-23-2009, 04:50 PM

Yeah at the presser today they said the trains were made in like 1974..which is wayyy too old especially considering they were told to replace them in the first place :/

**sunnykerr** · 06-23-2009, 06:36 PM

The metro system in Montreal is older than that, though I do know that they fix up the trains (possibly replacing some of them)...

Anyway, this was either a mechanical breakdown (due to the age of the trains) or a communication problem.

Communication issues would mean the age of the trains wouldn't necessarily be a factor.

**vc318** · 06-23-2009, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunnykerr (View Post)

Communication issues would mean the age of the trains wouldn't necessarily be a factor.

They said there was something wrong with the communication device and the brakes. Basically, people being too lazy to fix something that should've stayed off the tracks long time ago. It was reported numerous times that there were things wrong with the train. If you know that, then how can you just allow this thing to operate each day and not worry about it?

**sunnykerr** · 07-06-2009, 05:23 PM

Any developments on this story?