My God, Just Horrible

Every commuter’s nightmare

At least seven people were killed and 12 injured when a Metro-North train slammed into an SUV dashing across the tracks in Westchester Tuesday night, causing a massive explosion and fire that trapped rush-hour commuters inside, sources said.
The Harlem Line train was heading toward the Hawthorne station when a woman driving a black Jeep Cherokee tried to cross the tracks and was bulldozed.
The impact unhinged the electrified third rail, which pierced the lead car and caused blast that ripped apart the passenger compartment, where six of the victims died, sources said. The driver of the Jeep also died.

When I first heard this I thought it was the gas from the Jeep that caused the fire, but the electricity from the third rail?

Just awful.

Update:

The deadly chain of events began as the crossing-barricade arm came down on the back of the Cherokee on Commerce Street, a witness said.
Instead of backing up, the driver — who was stopped in traffic caused by an earlier car accident — continued to cross the tracks, after first getting out to check the damage to her SUV.
“I’m signaling and yelling for her to back up and reverse, and I’m thinking the clock is ticking here,” said Richard Hope, who was driving behind her. “But she gets back in her car and starts driving forward over the tracks.”

If this holds up, all I can say is
Stupid
Damned
Idiot.

Metro-North has gotten a lot of well-deserved flack of late, but this seems to be completely this woman’s fault.

One Response to “My God, Just Horrible”

1. Rob says:

   February 5, 2015 at 11:52 am

   When trains and motor vehicles mix it up, the motor vehicle and its occupant(s) ALWAYS loses. Not quite sure why people haven’t caught on to that yet.