1 dead in train wreck

cnn ^ | Jan 6, 2003 | cnn.com

[snippy_about_it]

BURBANK, California (CNN) -- At least one person died and several people were injured when a Metrolink commuter train slammed into a vehicle Monday, police said.

The accident occurred at 9:30 a.m. (12:30 p.m. ET) at Lincoln Street and San Fernando Boulevard, said Lt. Janice Lowers of the Burbank Police Department.

[snippy_about_it]

This has been on FOXNEWS tv most of the morning but the only print form I could find was at cnn. I have not found it posted on FR.

[dakine]

Every 1/2 hour news has reported this, I too was looking for an FR thread.

[ican'tbelieveit]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,74734,00.html

[ZGuy]

[IR8-1]

I can't seem to locate the cross-street where the truck could have been in the way. The one I could see on FOX was really far back. Do you think the train could of had such an impact and still travel that far?
(seems the truck that caused the tremendous fire-ball may have been tryin to 4-wheel drive over the tracks and onto that major hi-way) hmmm...

[ZGuy]

The accident occurred at Vanowen and San Fernando Road, according to NBC4. (http://www.nbc4.tv/)

The train was the southbound 210 train on the Antelope Valley line and departed Via Princessa at 8:46 a.m., according to Metrolink spokeswoman Colleen Richter. Metrolink is still collecting information, she said.

The lead cab car and two passenger coach cars derailed, Richter said. Metrolink has no details as to the cause of the crash, she said. The train engineer and several passengers were injured, Richter said.

"I just stayed on my feet and hung tight," passenger Mark Dukakis said. "I was on the third car" which did not overturn, he said. "It was not difficult for me and the passengers in my car to get out."

One person, reportedly the driver of the vehicle, has been confirmed dead and at least 20 people are injured, according to Burbank Police.

Passengers with minor and moderate injuries will reportedly be taken to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, according to NBC4. Trauma patients are going to Holy Cross in Mission Hill, according to NBC4.

Apparently the truck was on the tracks and the crossing bars were down, according to Burbank police. "We have eight victims in the process of being transported (to the hospital)," a police spokesman said. The injuries range from cuts and bruises to spinal cord injuries, he said. The train was traveling at about 50 miles per hour, he said.

The Antelope Valley line is closed for the time being, according to NBC4. For more information about your train route, call (800) 371-LINK. Metrolink has a surface transportation system in place in case of accidents, according to NBC4.

Firefighters pulled injured and dazed passengers from two rail cars.

One report says only a pile of twisted burned wreckage and its tires remains of the truck that was crushed in the collision.

[ampat]

It never ceases to amaze me how stupid drivers can be (short of murder/suicide) to be at a RR crossing when a train is there.

[Mr. Wright]

The article's first statement is wrong, wrong, wrong!!!!!!
The Metro Link train did not slam into the vehicle - rather the vehicle drove directly in front of the Metro Link Train!
Remember, trains do not dive in front of vehicles, vehicles drive in front of trains!

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

Wow. I know *exactly* where that is.

[Hermann the Cherusker]

Darwin wins!

[BurbankKarl]

The pickup truck was heading southbound on San Fernando, turning left at Buena Vista, and went around stopped several cars, and four lowered gates (one on each side of the street) All witnesses interviewed on KABC agreed the bells were ringing and gates lowered. The pickup was torn in two, and driver was thrown up the tracks onto the freeway shoulder, and mass injuries to his upper extremities.

This crossing was recently upgraded.

I heard the initial dispatch on Burbank PD, and they were onscene within 30 seconds....I work just south of Burbank Station on the main line, about two miles from the incident.

F40PHR231 wrote:

> \Did he say the truck driver went
> around the gates?
>
>

---

via Metrolink
LOS ANGELES, CA, Monday, January 6, 2003:

Preliminary reports from the Burbank Police and Fire Departments are as follows:

58 passengers were onboard Antelope Valley Line train 210 this morning.
Injuries to 4 passengers required immediate attention
8 additional passengers were treated next
20 more passengers were treated for minor injuries
Uninjured passengers have been provided transportation to the destination of their choice.
Eyewitnesses report seeing the driver of the truck struck by the train drive around lowered crossing gates.
Crossing warning devices apparently were working properly
2 passing retired firefighters assisted injured passengers before local emergency response personnel arrived
Passengers requiring hospitalization have been transported to one of 3 local hospitals. We will provide more details about this incident as they become available. Details on replacement bus service for this afternoon for Antelope Valley Line passengers will be available by 1 p.m. Calls from the media should be referred to Metrolink Public Information Officer Sharon Gavin who is at the accident scene. Her pager number is (213) 812-2762.

---

LOS ANGELES, CA, Monday, January 6, 2003: At approximately 9:30 a.m. today, southbound Antelope Valley Line train 210 (departing Via Princessa at 8:47 a.m.) struck a vehicle at the Buena Vista Street rail crossing in the City of Burbank. The collision resulted in the derailment of the lead cab car and the next 2 passenger coaches. The lead passenger car is on its side. There were 4 cars and one locomotive on the train. This incident is north of where this line splits off towards Ventura County so that service is unaffected at this time. All other Antelope Valley Line service is stopped at this time. Injuries to the train engineer and a number of passengers are reported. Metrolink, Amtrak, Bombardier and Los Angeles County Sheriff's personnel are at the scene. It is likely that Antelope Valley Line service will be cancelled this afternoon. Heavy equipment is on its way to right the derailed passenger cars and repair damaged track. It is expected to arrive by 4:00 p.m.

There is a report that the individual driving the vehicle, which was struck, died at the scene. Train 210 carried an average of just over 90 passengers a day during the month of December. We have an early estimate of approximately 50 passengers on board today. Injured parties are being transported to St. Joseph's Hospital and Holy Cross Hospital, both in Burbank. Anyone wishing to obtain information about individuals onboard the train should contact these hospitals. We will provide more details about this incident as they become available. Calls from the media should be referred to Metrolink Public Information Officer Sharon Gavin who is at the accident scene. Her pager number is (213) 812-2762.

Anyone wishing to obtain information about individuals onboard train 210 this morning should contact the following hospitals:

St. Joseph's can be reached at (818) 843-5111
Holy Cross can be reached at (818) 365-8051
Glendale Memorial can be reached at (818) 502-1900





how it went down via police scanner....


This is NOT on the Coast line, but about 1/4 mile north of Burbank Jct on the Saugus Line....Metrolink vs Truck, 2 Metrolink cars on their side....All trains stopped south of Burbank Jct.

Train hit a truck at Buena Vista Street, car is in half and on fire, train is derailed.


470.2375pd
470.1625pd
470.2125 verdugo
470.1375 firetac

San Fernando and Lincoln is triage area......

---

I just heard Verdugo dispatch E14, E32, E12, T32, T12, RA 32, E13, E16, Usar
14, Usar 32 and Haz Mat 12 for a Train Derailment at Buena Vista and San
Fernando

---

E15 E26 T26 Usar 26 T11 RA 26 E11 RA 11 also added
Cp is at San Fernando and Lincoln
Red 3 470.1375

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Command Red 2 470.0875
Tac Red 3 470.1375

---

E22 E21 E25 T21 3rd Alarm assignment respond to the train derailment

---

E23 to Station 11
E24 to Station 12
E31 to Station 13
E33 to Station 26
T29 to Station 26

---

[BurbankKarl]

ONE FOOL CAN RUIN YOUR WHOLE DAY!!!

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

I know a train conductor. He has had cars run into him. It has really destroyed him emotionally to know that his train has killed people, even if though those people are in the wrong.

[flamefront]

According to the Daily News article just published, the truck belonged to a company named Nawolo Inc. -

The truck is owned by Nawolo Inc. of El Segundo. The identity of its driver was not released, but Burbank police and fire officials said he was responsible for the derailment.

The only reference one finds to the name Nawolo is that it is Indonesian. The company appears to have no internet presence in English.

Indonesia has the largest population Moslems in the world. No one, including me, is yet suggesting this is a potential terrorist incident. Perhaps the citizenship and background of the driver will be curious.