Friday, September 12, 2008

Collision Between Freight Train and Metro LINK Train Outside LA at 4:42 PM, Atleast 135 Injured, Many Critical, and 18 Dead, Updates&Video below


Collision between Both Trains on Same Track Friday Eve 4:42 PM West Coast Time:




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SO THE BIGGER QUESTION YOU HAVE TO ASK LOOKING AT THE GRAPHIC- WHY WAS THE FREIGHT TRAIN ON THE SINGLE RAIL- COMMUNTER PASSENGER RAIL AT RUSH HOUR ON A FRIDAY???ARE FREIGHT TRAINS EVEN ALLOWED ON COMMUTER RAILS?THERE IS NO WAY THE METRO COULD HAVE SEEN THE FRIEGHT TRAIN COMING OUT OF THE TUNNEL AS IT APPROACHED THE CURVE ?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
12Noon Sat. UPDATE:Do Click the Title: I have Linked Live Stream Video to KNBC to listen to updates, reports and passenger
reports.Video 655221 Has an amazing interview with a passenger,Jeremy Schneider about the Head On Collision. Still NO National Coverage of this Huge Collision, local LA Stations covering better.Crews worked through night attempting to rescue people, more details posted below
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Accident just occurred at 7:42 PM EST, there are injuries , more to come. ( National News covering the Storm, not this incident).
10PM Update:
7 dead, and 23 injured, and there is a fire and more injuries and bodies to be recovered.....If you want more updates.Please do go to LA TImes and they will update during the night.

11Pm Update ( 8PM West Coast Time)::
A fire erupts after a Metrolink train carrying 400 passengers collides with a Union Pacific freighter near Chatsworth.
• 10-15 dead and at least 70 injured ( many critical)
• As rescue workers survey the wreckage, officials expect the death toll to mount
• A Metrolink spokeswoman says it's unclear what caused the accident
• Families-only information hotline: 1-800-371-5465
CNN updates on Collision

MORE FROM Update 11:30PM AP Report
"Firefighters extinguished a blaze under part of the wreckage and were working hours after the collision to free people from the destroyed commuter car, which was left toppled on its side with the train's engine shoved back inside it. Two other cars in the Metrolink train remained upright.
The Union Pacific freight train's engine was also turned onto its side, with the rest of the train splayed out like an accordion behind it.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said at the scene there were between 10 and 15 fatalities, and 50 to 60 people injured.
"This is the worst accident I've ever seen," Villaraigosa said. "Clearly the injuries are going to mount and so are the fatalities."
Police Lt. John Romero said the death toll was 10 to 20.
The crash "made a terrible sound, like a bomb, a huge noise," said Julio Pedraza, 35, who lives and works at a nearby horse boarding facility. He said he saw passengers emerging from the wreckage, and he and others helped the injured, one with skin peeling off of his forehead."

3:30 AM FINALLY...ON MSNBC...
LA TIMES update 3AM LA Times Update and there is more Disaster New Service

Graphic Video...Very Concerning- there is no logical reason both trains should have been near each other or on SAME track?

Saturday early AM AP Video:

Saturday AM Update:
17 Dead, 135 Injured. Train was carrying 222, and four crew members. So it does appear that 80% of those on board were hurt of Killed. Fire , Search and Rescue worked throughout the night with Jaws of Life etc trying to save people and find those and rescue them out of the twisted wreckage. I have seen no reports of NTSB ( another agency that Bush Fema-nized)....There was NO reason that a freight train should have been on those tracks- and no records or reports indicating WHY a freight train would use a Commuter Line. See Latest article AM reports from the AP.

12:30PM Update: This San Diego article does list WHO will be investigating this tragedy. and search for WHY the Southern Pacific Union Freight Car would have been even using that track while Commuters were being transported on a Friday Afternoon.The Track is supposed to be "shared", but not at the SAME TIME of Day, More on the Trains being there at the same time, still no statement from the Freight Company. If the Train was carrying 220people, 135 injured, and 18 dead, that means that they are still searching for survivors and injured, as well as bodies, and that 65 are still missing ?

{{HISTORICAL INFORMATION: Please do look at this Attached Article about ANOTHER incident involving the Metro and FREIGHT- all the same Companies involved- from Jan. 2005. History has NOT improved safety sadly read about the other January 2005 Deadly Train Crash.}}

2Pm EST: New Updates from LA TIMES, 60 people still Missing....Death toll to rise, and yes, dead are exposed but trapped in wreckage ( which is one reason MSM has not covered appropriatedly- even though they could show from another angle and interview people) More From LA TIMES

3PM EST NOW supposedly the Metro Engineer is being blamed ( BUT Still NO explanation WHY Frieght train was on THAT track at Rush Hour and STILL NO Statement from the Freight Train Company ) read moreIt's Not right to blame dead people and still no statement from Southern Pacific Freight Trains

4PM EST:::: Death Toll has risen to 23, and search continues Read More from LA Times and AP So that means approximately 64 still missing. 222 were on board, 135 Injured, and 23 dead, still leaves 64 Unaccounted for ....4Pm press conference is being given, and Data Recorders and VIDEO recorders from BOTH companies have been recovered at the site, they said that Bodies are still being recovered from the site.Press Conference by NTSB.Governor on site.

Sunday AM Update:::
It appears that Metrolink has taken responsibility for the contracted engineer that may have not heeded the Signal, and less than a minute before the crash was Texting Friends, his "train fans" so they could watch him steer the train, which is approximately when he should have been responding to the signal- a STOP signal. NTSB is still investigating, 135 Injured, 40 Critical, 25 dead, and 63 were able to walk away and not be in hospital. A tragic Collision that can be traced to human error.
NTSB wants to thoroughly investigate further, before blame is placed.

Monday AM:
LA TIMES is reporting this am that the Engineer was blamed prematurely, this as stated by NTSB, and they are investigating Signal Failure as it appears that the last two signals were missed or not acknowledged between the trains engineer, conductor and Dispatcher, all tapes are being reviewed and the conductor needs to be interviewed as he is still injured. More to Come on this.....

20 comments:

Fran said...

So sorry to hear of the trainwreck.
What a trauma.
Prayers to all involved, including the brave rescue workers risking their lives to help.

Bradda said...

What a tragedy.

enigma4ever said...

yeah and the media did not cover...I hope folks made it home....and yes...what tragedy..

Fran said...

Hi E ~ I think in that kind of accident, the rescue workers & police keep the media out....they have to do that kind of triage-- If you are not there to help, then don't get in the way & slow down the critical need to get people out safely. Also with the fires breaking out, etc. the scene was dangerous.

I bet there was all kinds of media in LA trying to swarm the scene. It was covered on Ntl news, more of an ariel shot & a brief overview of what had happened, because it had just happened. Too early to know all the details.

enigma4ever said...

Fran::
I know that the Media has to be kept out- I have worked those kinds of scenes as a nurse/EMT/ etc...but what bothered me more was that CNN and MSNBC could have atleast reported it , EVEN mentioned it- and they didn't , they could have given information of WHERE people should call or go for Information....CNN and MSNBC did NOT report AT ALL until after MN East Coast time. THEIR Damn Job is to REPORT it- even without photos...atleast let people KNOW that there was TONS of Search and Rescue there working the scene- atleast every 2 hours through the night report what was KNOWN...ie Injury Numbers and where Family members are. And they should also be interviewing NTSB for reports.

NONE of that happened...and it should have. Seriously Our News Stations have become propaganda Tools.

( On a more Personal note- I was in 2 train incidents in California when I lived there- I have had Serious Questions ABOUT WHY the Freight Trains RULE the Lines on the West Coast- I knew even in 2005 that an accident was inevitable- Freight trains should NOT be sharing Lines with Passenger Trains during the day- esp Rush Hour....
I was even told by a Conductor that Freight Trains Have More Power and ALWAYS are granted Right of Way over Passenger Trains...And NOW the National Media is not covering this and they rarely cover train accidents- and it is because Federal Laws NO Longer exist...evern since SNOW was In Bush's Cabinet- he is and was the CSX Chairman....People going home from work, died because Federal Laws have been abolished that would have protected them 8 years ago.....and as long as the Media does NOT show Anything - the criminal negligence will continue to have these kind of Incidents- kind of like the Mine Disaster last year).

Hence I cover these kinds of disasters on my blog...because we have Broken MSM...what was CNN covering last night- the Storm and the Same Missing 3 yr old they have "covered" ( exploited) for 2 monthes....

enigma4ever said...

Fran::
BTW I am not pissed at you for what you pointed out- I am very pissed at the MSM for enabling a dangerous situation and not doing their job- because they alone could have helped make the Freight Company and the NTSB accountable....

we are broken on so many levels....

jmsjoin said...

It bothered me when I heard this, this morning. That is horrific! It doesn't seem to be getting the air time it should. I haven't really heard anything about it except on news on the radio twice.
They are screwing around looking for dumb things to talk about with the hurricane. I don't know why they were both on the same track and it is terrible but thank God they were not both passenger trains!

enigma4ever said...

Jim::
More than 60 are STILL missing as of NOON today...

there used to be Federal Laws about sharing of track between Passengers and Freight- ALL changed UNDER BUSH...

it was a Head On on a Passenger Track....Passenger Tracks ARE NOT designed for Freight PERIOD...
( I am pissed about this...if you read my comment above to Fran..you will see why...)

I will be a dog with a bone on this story....it should not have happened - esp do read the Jan 2005 Story- ....and THAT is WHY the MSM is NOT Covering- Propaganda tools that they are...

enigma4ever said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
enigma4ever said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jmsjoin said...

enigma
As with mining laws! Bush the ass hole laxed a lot of laws to help Industry that has only served to kill average Americans. When are people going to realize it is all about the money and the4y do not matter period?

enigma4ever said...

I don't know Patriot...but we need People to wake the fuck up...NOW...

thanks...

enigma4ever said...

4Pm
I have been watching the videos and also listening to the Riders- and the people who live there- NO ONE heard BRAKES....no screech....really really odd..still NO report or statement from the Freight people...hmm

( CNN one of their biggest sponsers is CSX....that might explain some of the defecient coverage)

enigma4ever said...

Okay it is 4:43 PM I am watching the presser by NTSB, and she said they have not talked to MetroLink yet- I am confused what she meant- in the background they are still removing bodies....what a mess...single track- HEAD ON crash....there has to be a reason...WHY they both were on that track....the video is still horrendous.CNN cut away- MSNBC is still airing it..

Many hours since anyone alive has been found at the scene.

enigma4ever said...

40 of those airtransported to area trauma centers are Critical still of the 135 injured.

So numbers will rise ....sadly.

enigma4ever said...

5PM:
count is 25....dead, and Only one level of Metro Car One has been done, the 2nd level should have more...very sad.

63 still missing.

( Still unclear after watching the NTSB press conference- at 4:30PM. HOW many crew survived if any?)

enigma4ever said...

If you look at the Graphic that I added- the Freight Train was in the tunnel moments before the crash- which means that the passenger train or the Freight train would not have seen each other- but this Metro was on it's Usual Friday Run....the train that should NOT have been there was the Freight- ON THAT TRACK ????

So for anyone to blame it on the Passenger train makes NO sense at all....

also look at the diagram- the force of the crash accordianed the Frieght cars,and broke the impact where as the Engine cars of BOTH trains slammed into the Passenger car- which I think indicates the Metro was slowed as it went around the corner....so the Freight must have been going faster....Also the Metro could not have slowed or braked on the turn......but looking at the graphic- it does appear that the Metro might have never seen the Freight train....The Metro Engine was pushed into the Passenger train- which also might mean that it was going than less than half the speed - or maybe have been stopped- but the weight of a loaded frieght train with atleast * cars- there is no way that force could be buffered.

Data recorders and video have been collected from the scene...

Unknown said...

Allie~ There are plenty of sections of track where there is only one track..and there are lights that tell the trains whether they have to wait on the side track until another train passes or if they are free to go.

The Metrolink driver was at fault, he basicallly ran a red light. The freight train had the right of way.

I have ridden the Metrolink many times and it is a huge pain in the ass when the train has to sit on the side track and wait for the other train to go through..there are reports here in Cali that the Metrolink driver was a contractor and not familiar with the procedures, plus he might of been texting someone at the time he ran the red light to stop.

Unknown said...

FYI,Metrolink released the statement today that their driver was responsible.

enigma4ever said...

thanks Dusty,
It sounds like it is going to turn into a series of errors..and problems...I heard that the engineer was texting ??omg...I don't understand that at all.....the whole thing sounds grim...thanks for sharing more info....

the freight during rush hour still mystifies me...

( and yeah- I am suspect- but it is because I was involved in two train incidents with Freight trains...but that is a story for another time...but I did research laws and all when I lived there because I was worried...)

But if he was texting his "fans"...that just really is
disturbing...

I am glad that the NTSB finally came out and gave a statement...and said they are investigating...

anyways....
we will see what happens..

I hope the 222 number was wrong..and that it is less than that..otherwise there are alot of people still missing....