Posted on 12/18/2017 8:44:10 AM PST by ImJustAnotherOkie
(KOMO) — PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. - All southbound lanes of Interstate 5 are closed south of Joint Base Lewis-McChord after an Amtrak train derailed and fell off an overpass onto the freeway. Some injuries have been reported. View image on Twitter View image on Twitter
Chris Karnes 🌹 @TacomaTransit The train has derailed. Emergency crews are on the scene. Massive damage. People are hurt. 10:01 AM - Dec 18, 2017 24 24 Replies 119 119 Retweets 30 30 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy
Motorists are being warned to avoid the area. "I was just shocked," said Peter Zimmerman of Olympia. "I couldn't believe it. It was like something out of a movie." State transportation officials say the train derailed near Mounts Road. View image on TwitterView image on Twitter
Danae Orlob @naenae007 @komonews 9:55 AM - Dec 18, 2017 12 12 Replies 9 9 Retweets 4 4 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy
View image on Twitter View image on Twitter
WSDOT Tacoma Traffic ✔ @wsdot_tacoma All SB lanes of I-5 blocked near Mounts Road in Pierce County due to derailed train car. Avoid area! 9:45 AM - Dec 18, 2017 33 33 Replies 470 470 Retweets 118 118 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy Amtrak officials said the train was the No. 501, which operates between Seattle and Portland. The train had just begun using a new high-speed route Monday morning. Lakewood city oficials had earlier expressed fears that the new route would cause serious accidents.
Amtrak service south of Seattle is temporarily suspended. Service from Seattle to points north and east is continuing to operate.
Uh oh..
First day? That’s ominous. I’d say closer to criminal than sloppy.
Expert says emergency breaking would cause a push-pull effect. That’s apparently how a car ended up upside down on the freeway.
I wonder how quickly that truck stopped.
KIRO-7: Several cars were hit by the train, but no deaths related to motorists.
Enlarged photos below indicate another Amtrak car laying on I-5 behind the upside down Amtrak car.
Well, it looks like the Lakewood leg will be on hold for a while.
That is very old. That labrat knats has spray painted the entire state. The bigger problem are the hobos and drug addicts living on the rail properties.
The breathless local news (who do not know their local area very well) are speculating that a truck was on the tracks. Knowing that overpass, it is not hard to imagine. Easy access if it was indeed a non train vehicle.
People in those cars become projectiles as the cars go from speed to stop in short order.
listening to a TV report
all southbound lanes of I-5 blocked
75 passengers were on train
80 mph
some fatalities
happened at 7:38 am (Pacific)
this was the FIRST train to carry passengers on the higher speed route (80 mph)
From that photo there’s at least one car behind the upside down car and maybe more.
Good Lrd. Prayers up.
It’s also near a couple of curves.
I’m not sure whether the train was going engine first or in pusher mode.
47.0822 122.6756
Rumor has it Chick-Fil-a was going to have the fried chicken concession but they all got called to Atlanta and couldn’t make the maiden voyage. Small miracles. /s
Ebonics?
By looking at the Google map there’s no way a truck could have been on the tracks without intentionally driving down the track.
Det. Ed Troyer saying cars are in the woods, so what we’re seeing on the TV is only a small portion of the carnage.
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