… sounds as tragic as the infamous Metra crossing incident with a BN-commuter E9 in the early 1990s.
http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x427968055/Train-in-Chicago-kills-woman-child-she-was-carrying
I wish I could remember where I heard a little more about this one…must have been on the radio yesterday morning.
From the mental image I get of North Chicago from when I used to go through there a long while back, I’m suspecting that these people were not using a grade crossing to get across the tracks. Perhaps someone can tell me whether I’m right.
[sigh][banghead]
Carl, I seem to remember hearing/reading this weekend that the family of the deceased were waiting in their car for their train to Chicago (inbound) at the North Chicago station but on the side of the tracks opposite the station, wanting to keep out of the rain until train time. They reportedly saw a train coming and thought it was theirs and that it would be slowing for the station stop so they ran accross the tracks with the warning bells and lights active. The train they saw turned out to be an express, not scheduled to stop at North Chicago and all family members except the last woman carrying the little baby made it accross. The woman carrying the baby was killed instantly and the child died three hours later. Aside from the obviously tragic deaths of the woman and child, the poor engineer was heard by a passenger in the lead cab car yelling something like “Oh God, no” and then the train hit the woman and child…that poor guy will live with that image forever. WHY, OH WHY, CAN’T PEOPLE USE THE BRAINS THEY WERE BORN WITH??? [sigh]
Just another senseless, horrible tragedy that should never have happened because it was completely avoidable.
If we used the brains that we were born with we would never know anything. The brains that we are born with need to be taught how to do things the right way versus doing things the wrong way. What lesson was being taught to the child with the man directly ahead of the woman and baby that were killed? That the flashing lights and bells and whistles mean nothing and it’s ok to cross the tracks just as long as you don’t get hit by the train?
Metra makes announcements, in English, at each station that the next train at your station does stop. Assuming that the announcement was made, did they understand the message? I ask the question because the last name of the victims suggests that there were of Mexican heritage.
The way North Chicago station was laid out back in our day, the grade crossing at the depot was the only way to get across, as there was no pedestrian crossing. However, a few months ago I rode the train to Chicago, and I noticed that the layout has been completely redone. But as I was on the same train number as the one that hit these people, we went through the depot rather quickly and I did not get a chance to gather much detail; plus it was dark out on my return trip. I do remember saying to my wife that the train we were on (an ‘express’ running on a Saturday morning) was a good candidate for a pedestrian incident at one of the stations it did not stop at. But what i did notice is that the train did a 15L as it went through town.
What is a 15L? And yes this was North Chicago and they crossed the pedesterian crossing when the lights and bells were on.
a 15L must be the reverse of the standard 14L Ive done these just to be differant a few times. a 15L is a long then a short then 2 longs. where you guys are use to hearing a 14L that is 2 longs a short then 1 long
I stand corrected about the location; got a few more details this morning.
Jim, your 15L (crossing signal) is now 5.8.2 (7). Progress?
The one that’s germane here is 5.8.2 (1) “Sound whistle to attempt to attract attention to the train”. No pattern or length specified, so you could do it with “Shave and a Haircut” without violating anything.
Along with the 15L ( LOL) if they just be wearing that reflective vest they would have not been hit, according to the saftey exsperts here. if they just start issuing those vest to treaspassers and build them walk ways to treaspass they all be alive now