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Train collides with veterans parade in Texas
This is of course very sad. But one report I saw said that authorities are trying to find out (I’m paraphrasing) how the train wound up in the middle of the parade. As we all know, that’s the wrong question. It’s ALWAYS the driver’s fault, folks.
I’m a retired State of Wisconsin, Department of Transportation, Highway Traffic Engineer with 35 plus years experience.
I am completely dismayed that the City of Midland would be so foolish as to allow/permit a parade float with people aboard to even get near, much less cross a live railroad track. It appears that the truck driver was more interested in his time constraints rather than the safety of the people on board the flat bed.
Quiet Zone or NO, Signals and Gates Working or NOT, this crash was completely preventable by the driver of the truck pulling the flatbed.
The City of Midland needs to wake-up and never allow this sort of inappropriate crossing of a railroad track again.
No one on the trailer saw this big thing with three bright lights coming? Most Vets I know have above average situational awareness (I’m a Vet and certainly think so). My sympathies to the families. Very poor planning on the part of Midland, and the truck driver.
You can expect a train any where and at any time, never, never stop on railroad tracks unless you know you can clear the tracks. I’ve seen this time and time again happen being a retired conductor. I feel sorry for our vets, But the poor train crew which is helpless once the air brakes were applied, you just have to wait until you stop.
Anthony from NEW YORK was asking how the quiet zone contributec to the accident. If the train was blowing it’s horn at the other crossings in town, it will have caught the attention of the public, the parade members, and I’m sure, the people on the flatbed trailer, giving them warning of an approaching train… Would have been a far different outcome. Trains are awesome, noisy beasts, hence the reason for the law banning the horns. Quiet zones are not good. Don’t like the noise, then move. 95% of the time the tracks were there first.
I’ve read since the accident that the truck / trailer actually entered the crossing AFTER the warnings (lights, etc.) began. If so…
Quite zones shoud be band. What a stupid idea. the railroad was there long befor the crossing was no doubt. dont like the noise why did you move there?
Quite zones shoud be band. What a stupid idea. the railroad was there long befor the crossing was no doubt. dont like the noise why did you move there?
Quite zones shoud be band. What a stupid idea. the railroad was there long befor the crossing was no doubt. dont like the noise why did you move there?
Quite zones shoud be band. What a stupid idea. the railroad was there long befor the crossing was no doubt. dont like the noise why did you move there?
To say that the train hit the truck, is politically incorrect. Properly said, it would be truck stops over railroad track in front of oncoming train. IF IT DOES NOT FIT; DON’T COMMIT! Clearly, the driver of the truck should have known better. There’s a safety rule that says IF YOU MUST CROSS THE TRACKS, DO NOT STOP! Apparently, the driver assumed that the traffic was going to keep moving, but suddenly stopped while he was over the track.
Being a militray veteran myself, my heart goes out to all of those who lost a loved one in this tragedy. It is quite clear that the prevailing bottom line in this incident brought up the final jeopardy question of mankind’s greatest failure-that being, “what is failure to communicate?”.
Had the railroad would have known, as one reader pointed out, slow orders could have been placed to go through the town, or the truck driver should have been advised of checking the distance to clear a crossing before proceeeding across the tracks. “No horn” laws don’t help either. By the time the locomtive makes its first whistle blast, it is too late to even think about crossing the tracks.
Reading several news accounts - not one mention of the SEMI DRIVER STOPPING ON THE TRACKS - rather than waiting until there was room beyond the tracks to proceed. Pure & simple - the only error committed by anyone.
Quiet zone + grade crossing = terrible tragedy. When will people learn?
Train at fault? No. Truck driver at fault? Maybe, but not necessarily. Parade organizer(s) or coordinator(s) at fault? Probably. Did they bother to check on train schedules? Did they cause the truck driver to believe the normal rules for crossing the track because of being part of the parade? As a former trick driver, regardless of any direction from a parade “official (other than police or fire departments, and I would question them),” I would never move onto the tracks until I had plenty of room to clear on the other side, and I would not change gears until fully clear of the tracks.
This is a tragedy and an example of people not using their heads when near train tracks.
Another question to be considered is whether or not the parade organizers or town officials notified UP that the parade was going to take place so the railroad could take that fact into consideration and notify the crews running through the town at that time or setting up a temporary speed restriction during the time of the parade. Such foresight may well have helped prevent this tragedy.
Unfortunate. Are people going nuts at railway crossings?
Reports I have read indicate that even though the truck could not clear the crossing, it may actually not be the truck driver’s fault. Apparently there were sheriff’s deputies, and probably other law enforcement, controlling traffic. It could be possible that their actions caused the movement of the paarade to stop, thus stranding the trucker.
Quiet zone or not, it should be mandatory for any parade, funeral procession and other similar procession of vehicles which will cross railroad tracks to monitor railroad radio frequencies and to post observers to specifically watch for approaching trains.
This adds a critical piece of information to the reports coming from the scene. Most reports question whether the train crew saw the trailer, but if they sounded their horn and the stretch of track is in a quiet zone, then you can assume with great confidence that the crew saw the trailer.
This article avoids much of the incendiary verbage of other media reports, such as “crashes into,” “slams,” etc. Those reports suggest that the railroad and its crew were at fault, when it sure looks like the trucker had not cleared the crossing and had nowhere to go when the train approached. Thus the accident was due to other folks and not the train crew who will probably carry the memory of this event with them the rest of their lives. I suspect the driver of the truck will, too. May the Lord give them and all the others involved support and guidance as they deal with this tragedy.