2 DC Metro trains collide

[Puzzler]

Source: CNN

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No link yet.

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As per CNN

[Happyhippychick]

1. I found this

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0609/634125.html

[crazylikafox]

2. 1 fatality, 9 injured per initial report on channel 7 in DC

Very preliminary report.

[crazylikafox]

3. head on collision on red line, per reports. in Tacoma

[Puzzler]

4. "Massive injuries"

According to CNN. Looks very serious.

[Captain Hilts]

5. AND a "train malfunction" at Tenleytown on the Red Line. I have to get downtown! nt

[onenote]

9. the red line is shut down because of the accident

[demoborn47]

6. link

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2009/06/commuter_alert_red_line_derail.html?hpid=topnews

[rainbow4321]

7. Crap

Those poor people.

Not really the headline I wanted to read as I take my seat here on Dallas' lightrail system to get home.
Did I read right? One train on TOP of the other??? That's one helleva impact.

[crazylikafox]

8. One train on top of the other is what they're reporting.

I'm in Maryland & watching it live on local TV

[Puzzler]

12. It's more than just on top...

... at least one or two cars appear to have "telescoped" (collapsed/folded) into each other.

[KamaAina]

10. From DC's NBC affiliate

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Metro-Trains-Collide-Between-Takoma-Fort-Totten.html

Two Metro trains collided between the Takoma and Fort Totten stations on the Red Line, resulting in at least one fatality, D.C. Fire and EMS Department spokesman Alan Etter said. A six-car train headed toward Shady Grove derailed between those Metrorail stations and was involved in a collision with another train at 5 p.m. today, Monday, June 22, according to preliminary reports.

The collision took place above ground.

Officials have confirmed one fatality. There are numerous other injuries. Passengers are currently still trapped in the trains; emergency workers are using tools to cut them from the wreckage.

A witness told Bensen that it appeared that one train car looked like it was on top of another train car.

:scared:

[dgibby]

11. CNN now reporting 2 dead, according to Metro officials.

Many more trapped, several serious injuries.

[The Stranger]

13. Oh no.

No.

[Baclava]

14. Like two straws jammed together end to end - top one split and cored out

They must have hit at high speed.

There will be many, many serious injuries.

[swilton]

15. I WAS IN TAKOMA PARK

and heard the sirens - everywhere at roughly 5:00 p.m. Ambulance with police escorts, etc. As a Silver Spring resident, this is the line that services my station. (It makes a U from roughly east Montgomery County and the Glenmont Station then Forest Glen, Silver Spring and Takoma Park and Fort Totten and on through Union Station to Bethesda and Shady Grove.) Metro-rail rider-ship has gone up recently due to the gas crisis and the increasing popularity of public transport vis a vis cleaning up the environment.

But this is just one more example of where our infrastructure is failing.

I am so, so sorry about this. It was the height of the rush hour. My friends and neighbors were coming home from their jobs, more than likely with the government that is failing them so miserably.

[crazylikafox]

18. The trains were heading toward downtown DC, not leaving.

Hopefully, it was not as crowded as it would have been if it had been heading in the other direction.

[swilton]

19. Thanks for the update

My neighbor who rides that train is OK and is coming home by bus.

I used to ride that train before I retired....

[JerseygirlCT]

21. Where was the accident?

I've been looking for more details, and haven't heard. I've got friends and relatives in the area, and I'm concerned.

Thanks in advance.

[JerseygirlCT]

22. Sorry, I did just find it. Thanks nt

[Baclava]

23. METRO Accident INFO Line. 202-727-9099

For those looking for loved ones.

per DC police

[JerseygirlCT]

25. Thanks

Looks like they would have been on the other side of the line.

[MountainLaurel]

26. Amen on the infrastructure comment

Metro is especially screwn because of the multiple jurisdictions involved.

I am so glad to hear that you're OK. I left D.C. 3 years ago, but it's still home.

[gauguin57]

36. When I visit DC, I often park at Silver Spring and take the red line into city.

This is terrifying!

[Duer 157099]

24. Very similar to the 2008 Metrolink crash in Chatsworth CA

[Mari333]

16. David Corn twitter live

# DavidCornDCtramping thru woods and poison ivy to get closer to crash site. Crash us under NH Ave bridge rt before North Cap. #dcmetro5 minutes ago from mobile web

#
David Corn
DavidCornDCI am near the crash site. Can see the trains. The cent of one is hi in the air resting on the other. #dcmetro7 minutes ago from mobile web

[Baclava]

17. 4 confirmed fatalities ..."Scores of injured"

...per mayor's press conference at the scene

Fire Chief: 200 firefighters at the scene, still looking for trapped people.



One train was stopped, next train came up behind it and collided from rear.

Train operator one of the fatalities.

[swilton]

20. I feel for the train operators

They and the bus drivers are the nicest people. I'm sick.

[FailureToCommunicate]

28. "...the nicest people" EXCEPT when they are texting instead of driving! Several serious

accidents where that was the direct cause have happened recently. Massachusetts and California. Probably some other cause today, but sorry, drivers of ANY public transportation have a job to do and texting or phoning their friends ISN'T one of them!
Besides that they are the nicest people and condolences to them and all the victims of this terrible situation. My dear friend was in a train a few back from these two tonight. They are being bussed around the tragedy.

[swilton]

31. I have been a public transportation guru

in this metro area for many years and the Silver Spring/Takoma Park stations were my neck of the woods. I can't say that I really knew any of the subway drivers. To reach the train stations, I had to take either the metro bus or the Ride-On buses. In both cases those drivers had the patience of saints - I mean negotiating through traffic jams on narrow neighborhood streets, road rage, being cut off, etc., etc. To me they are the unsung heroes in today's communities and were well under paid for all of the work that they did. I never saw any of them text messaging, although because I don't even own a cell phone I'm not certain if I would recognize such behavior.

[FailureToCommunicate]

32. Of course you're right. Most are underpaid saints. It's just been a hectic few hours

trying to discover whether my dear friends in Silver Spring are okay (they are). And I had a friend on the T here in Boston that was a victim of the stupid kid texting his girlfriend instead of braking the subway car at Government Center recently, so I am with holding the judgment of saintliness on the drivers in this awful crash...

[swilton]

33. Yes, I'm from S/S and had I still been working would have

ridden that train. Luckily my neighbor is OK - Even though the train was heading downtown, I just can't help thinking about all of thos commuters. I know there must be more bodies under there that they haven' been able to retrieve.

I've heard that this track will now be tied up for weeks - to clear, investigate. Think of all of those who would normally communte who now will drive their cars into the city. While we've been lucky so far this summer w/o any 'code red' days (the air pollution is so great that they let you ride the buses free to encourage keeping cars off the road), we're overdue for some really bad hot and humid weather.

I've always thought that 'commuting' was discouraged because it was so 'communal' - when they have us all in our cars, we're 'individuals' and unable to unite. I have found the bus rides encouraged 'communities' - one actually talked to one's neighbors and the bus drivers, etc. There is a lot of solidarity out there in the land of public transportation. Perhaps this is a wake-up call and will generate some more $$$$ in subsidies for our public transportation system.

[FailureToCommunicate]

34. Agreed. Public commuting is the way to go, despite today's (rare) occurrence.

Our trips across American and Europe by rail have always been the most memorable.
And I agree that US is far behind other areas of the world in quality rail, but I think your system is pretty new and outstanding. (We were on that line recently for the Inaugural of Obama)
Good luck dealing with the shutdown of service from today.

[elleng]

35. I sure hope they/we won't DRIVE CARS!

There's lots of metrobus service in the area, and folks should get used to it.

[Puzzler]

27. Geez Campbell Brown, you might not want to have this in your "mash up" segment.

[demobabe]

29. 6 confirmed, possible 7 fatalities... Symbolman and I were NOT on one of those trains

Frightening, been riding the trains a lot recently... really sad news.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/getthere/

[HughBeaumont]

30. I'm going there Wednesday.

And when I go, I take the Red Line downtown. That part where it crashed is right before my sister's station.

Unbelievable. Feel so sorry for the families of those who were injured/killed. I still would like to know how this happened.

[Ms. Toad]

54. My daughter is going there in a week - the Red Line

is what she would take, as well.

[bushmeister0]

37. Long, unexplained waits were going on before the accident on the Red Line.

The WaPo:

"Tom Baker, 47, a District resident, was in the first car of the second train. There were eight to 10 passengers in his car. As they pulled out of Takoma on the way to Fort Totten, the female operator said the train was holding because there was a train in front of them. Shortly thereafter, the train started moving again, and there was soon an 'enormous crashing jolt,' he said."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/22/AR2009062202508_2.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2009062202480

I got to DC this morning around 11:30. My trip from Gallery Place to DuPont Circle and then back again, about an hour later, was fine. But from then on it just got wacky. I first noticed what looked like typical METRO nuttiness around 4:30 at the Smithsonian station. When I got to Metro station it was really messed up. Hundreds of people all stacked up. All massive delays, well before the wreck. Something was up beforehand. We kept hearing that we were all crushed into our car with annoying tourists because we were waiting for a train ahead of us. This continued all the way back to DuPont Circle. When we got to where we were going, a few minutes later, we saw the breaking news on channel 4.

It just wasn't this one thing, it was a cascade of stuff, I'm pretty sure, judging by what this rider says, which happens to correspond to my experience.

[cosmicone]

38. Two underground metro trains collide in US capital: media

Source: AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Two underground metro trains collided on Monday in the nation's capital, Washington, leaving one train on top of the other, CNN reported.

"I'm looking at two subway trains that appear to have collided at a fairly high rate of speed," said a CNN reporter at the scene of the crash.

"I'm looking down on the scene from the New Hampshire Avenue bridge over the metro tracks. There are apparently a number of people trapped and a number of people injured."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090622/ts_alt_afp/usaccidenttrain

[lindisfarne]

39. Dupe -s ee

Mon Jun-22-09 02:31 PM LBN

[grantcart]

40. Did one of them come from Pelham?

[Frisbee]

41. I guess it would be pretty cold of me....

To say I hope Lindsey Graham, John Boehner, Mitch McConnell and Eric Cantor were on them. Oh hell, who am I kidding, I hope they were standing between them. I hope everyone else involved is OK.

[Faygo Kid]

42. Not underground. I ride that train all the time. At l;east two dead.

I could have been on that train, but rode down with a friend today.

[elleng]

50. I noticed that too.

Heading TOWARD DC, so rather small loads, I think. Glad you're ok.

[FailureToCommunicate]

43. Dupe. See earlier post.

[bloomington-lib]

44. I have a friend that rides that line at that time to get home to

Silver Spring. I haven't been able to reach her for that last few hours. I hope she's alright.

[FailureToCommunicate]

46. These trains were INbound to DC - heading South of Takoma Park station so your

friend was unlikely to be involved. (Both trains involved were southbound) Hope that helps

[bloomington-lib]

47. yes thanks. The southbound trains weren't originally reported

I did finally get a call. She said the wreck happened in front of her.

[FailureToCommunicate]

48. Glad to hear she's safe! So was my friend (he was on a train Northbound, and got put on busses)

[northernlights]

45. at least 6 dead; 6 critically injured

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090623/ap_on_re_us/us_dc_metro_train_derailment

[elleng]

49. They were NOT UNDERGROUND!

SOMEONE got this central fact WRONG, in the second WORD of the story.

[Baclava]

53. Headlines sell. Accuracy seems to be secondary.

We'll find out in a couple years when the "Seconds from Disaster" show comes out, I suppose.

The good news is the NTSB usually finds the chain of events that causes these things.

[defendandprotect]

51. Proving how deadly mass transportation/train travel can be????

Or is it cells phones/texting that's so dangerous?

I'm getting jaded!!!!

This sucks --

[MiniMe]

52. As of this morning, 9 dead, 76 injured

Transportation around DC will be a total mess. They are telling people to avoid the red line on the Metro (entire line), the Brunswick line of the Marc Train is not running today.

[Blue_Tires]

55. no word on a cause yet?

[FailureToCommunicate]

56. I'm guessing the deadly combination of human error and Newton's 1st Law of motion

(And I'm not trying to sound flip. My good friend was on a Northbound train near the accident)
The second train was clearly going too fast as it neared a station whether the driver saw the warning signals or not.