The way it was

[BaltACD]

Came across the following Timetable Special Instruction

B&O 1955 Pittsburgh Division Timetable

In case of fatal accident on line of road, trains will not be held awaiting Coroner. Bodies will be removed to nearest station or some other place where information can be given the Coroner, and trains should proceed without further delay.

Doesn't meet 21st Century sensibilities.

[pennytrains]

Surprised they still had that directive as late as 1955.  I'd have thought they would have at least been transported to a funeral home.

[Overmod]

pennytrains

Surprised they still had that directive as late as 1955.  I'd have thought they would have at least been transported to a funeral home.

A victim would not have been transported anywhere until the coroner had ruled on the cause of death.

All that is different is that the train would not be held pending the arrival of the coroner, for example as 'forensic evidence' of the trauma to the victim, course of impact, etc.  I suspect at least part of the reason trains wait now has to do with lawyers.

[BaltACD]

Overmod

 

pennytrains

Surprised they still had that directive as late as 1955.  I'd have thought they would have at least been transported to a funeral home. 

A victim would not have been transported anywhere until the coroner had ruled on the cause of death. 

All that is different is that the train would not be held pending the arrival of the coroner, for example as 'forensic evidence' of the trauma to the victim, course of impact, etc.  I suspect at least part of the reason trains wait now has to do with lawyers.

When I was working we had 'suicide by train' incident at a location in Montgomery County MD.  Trespasser was struck an killed, near, but not on a road crossing.  Local police held the train pending the arrival of the Coroner who arrived about 4 hours after the incident started.  Coroner did pronounce the bisected body parts as being deceased, however, he would not transport the body parts from the scene.  Incident was prolonged for a further 4 hours waiting on the 'body snatchers' to arrive as they had been 'busy' picking up bodies from other incidents on the way to this incident, their headquarters were in a different Maryland county that was nearly 100 miles from the incident of the Montgomery County incident.

Needless to say the train crew was relieved for the Critical Incident and they also would have expired under the Hours of Service Law.