Pedestrian injured in light rail's path (His ambulance is then struck by car)

Houston Chronicle ^ | 3/18/04 | LUCAS WALL

[Diddle E. Squat]

A 59-year-old janitor missing a hearing aid darted into a MetroRail train Wednesday at Reliant Park, then the ambulance carrying him to the hospital was hit by a car one minute into the trip, injuring four more people.

Donnie Hall, who works for a temporary agency cleaning Reliant Stadium, was on his way home when he walked in front of the southbound train approaching the Reliant Park Station platform about 4 p.m., said Metropolitan Transit Authority spokesman Ken Connaughton.

Hall had apparently seen a northbound train at the station and hurried to get on board for his trip to his residence in the 3900 block of Main.

"He normally wears hearing aids in both ears, but three months ago he lost the one in his left ear," Connaughton said. "He heard the train (approaching from the left) but because he was hearing it in his right ear he didn't think he was in imminent danger."

Hall is the first pedestrian struck along the Main Street light rail line, though Metro trains have been involved in 25 collisions with vehicles since the Main Street line began full testing last fall. Passenger service started Jan. 1.

The transit authority is implementing several safety recommendations from a consultant's report last week on how to reduce the risk of cars crashing into trains.

Having suffered bruises to his left side, hand and arm after being grazed by the train, Hall was loaded into an ambulance for transport to Ben Taub Hospital.

Less than a mile from the scene, with lights and sirens activated, the ambulance was struck by a car at Fannin and Old Spanish Trail.

"It caught them in the right backhand corner of the ambulance," said Tommy Dowdy, a Houston Fire Department district chief.

Four people in the car did not appear to be seriously injured but were taken to the hospital for an examination. Hall and the paramedics weren't injured.

Dowdy added, "They loaded him into another ambulance and transported him" the rest of the way to the hospital, where he was treated and released.

Metro said the train driver could not have avoided hitting Hall, who was not cited but acknowledged his error.

"He told the officers he's been riding the train since it opened and he was upset at himself," Connaughton said.

At Fannin and Reliant Parkway, five Metro police officers wearing bright vests directed cars and people an hour after the first incident. MetroRail continued serving Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo events at Reliant Park from both directions but trains slowed about a block away and rolled in at a speed appearing to be slower than 10 mph.

MetroRail has been carrying thousands of people to the rodeo each day during the past two weeks.

Chronicle reporters Mike Glenn and La Monica Everett-Haynes contributed to this story.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Dang butterfly flapping its wings is probably the real cause of this chain reaction. Created a minute breeze that moved a bug, attracting the attention of a bird, that flew over to check out the movement, scaring a mouse to scamper in the garden, catching the notice of a cat peering out the window, which jumped on the table to get a closer look, knocking off the hearing aid to under the couch.

When you're spinning 'round, things can come undone,
Welcome to earth, 3rd rock from the sun.

[philetus]

Dowdy added, "They loaded him into another ambulance and transported him" the rest of the way to the hospital, where he was given a historectomy.

[rottndog]

This fella should not buy any lotto tickets!

[backhoe]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1092808/posts

A Streetcar Named Disaster
The Houston Review ^ | March 7, 2004 | Phil Magness

The only people who like it, are those who don't have to ride on it. In Most cases they are also the same ones who benefit from the, (can you spell boondoggle children?) It would probably be cheaper to arrange that each of those 7000 daily riders be given a personal limosine.

[Carlucci]

I was actually ON the train that hit the guy yesterday. My family and I, enjoying a Spring Break day off, parked our car downtown and rode the train to the Zoo and Astroworld.

We were already slowing down when we came to an abrupt stopped. We lurched forward in the train, but nobody lost their balance. Since the accident occurred at our stop anyway, we just got out and went about our business.

All in all, our experience with the train was okay. It saved us the hassle of having to find a parking spot at the Zoo, which if you've ever been there on a busy day is not an easy proposition. Also saved us the expense of parking at Reliant for Astroworld. We did have to walk about 1.5 miles from the train stop to the Astrowold entrance.

Did you know that you really don't have to pay to ride the train? There is no turnstile, nobody checking tickets, or any type of system in place to make sure you buy a ticket before riding. Some were openly bragging that they never paid because no one is checking. Of course, I'm no democrat, so I paid for my family's tickets.

[backhoe]

Thanks for the report... this?

Did you know that you really don't have to pay to ride the train?

So it's the honor system?

[Carlucci]

Yep, I never saw anyone check for tickets, so it must be on the (dis)honor system. I think ALL of the regular riders (all 20 of them) have already figured this out and just don't pay at all. It's only the honest people like me, and the people who don't know any better who pay.