Was she stone cold sober?

[SchemerBob]

...and she is upset because she knows her car is going to be crunched.

Pretty damn selfish if you ask me then.  What about the passengers and engineer that just had to go through the wreck

I agree completely. I mean, I understand her being upset (sort of), but, if she wasn't talking on the cell phone...NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. If she was upset about her car being smashed into oblivion...well, she'd still have her car if she wasn't talking on the cell phone! Frankly, this is just what you're asking for when you talk on your cell phone while driving.

Any info as to what P42 was the lead? 

I think this is P42DC #8. If you pause the video right at the spot where the side number goes past, you can see a blurry 8. Too bad any locomotive has to get damaged because of other people's stupidity. But on a better note, it sounds like the nose will just have to be replaced and it will probably be back out on the tracks again. The woman's car....totaled.

[Ted Marshall]

Car collision in a parking lot, SUV leaving backed into a sedan as it drove down the aisle, dude got out of the SUV walked over to the sedan, out stepped a midget who was fuming, "I'm not happy" he snapped, to which the dude replied, "Oh, then which one of the dwarfs are you?" Dude got a steel toe boot right into his shin and went down in extreme pain.

I'll bet you witnessed it as you were walking out of the store with your purchase. It must have occured in the parking lot at WAL-MART.

Nice try, but the caffine machine is working today, so I'm muuuch better today

Good thing...No need to "derail" this thread

 

[vsmith]

Car collision in a parking lot, SUV leaving backed into a sedan as it drove down the aisle, dude got out of the SUV walked over to the sedan, out stepped a midget who was fuming, "I'm not happy" he snapped, to which the dude replied, "Oh, then which one of the dwarfs are you?" Dude got a steel toe boot right into his shin and went down in extreme pain.

I'll bet you witnessed it as you were walking out of the store with your purchase. It must have occured in the parking lot at WAL-MART.

Nice try, but the caffine machine is working today, so I'm muuuch better today

[Anonymous]

When I walked down the tracks with the crew and police, you could see where her car was bouncing up and down on the rail. Most of the gouges were on the outside of the rail profile, because she was stradling the right rail on the left tracks. The passenger side of the car was riding lower on the ballast side. The switch throw got some tire tracks across it, but only cosmetic damage. They checked the gauge and returned the track to service. 

[Semper Vaporo]

What kind of damage would that have done to the tracks?

[Anonymous]

Here's another pic, she got on the track about a 1/2 mile down. There's a white truck at the crossing where she got on the tracks. The northbound manifest stopped before she got to them.

[Andy Cummings]

Did anybody consider maybe she's a mileage collector?

Andy Cummings
Associate Editor, Trains Magazine
Waukesha, Wis.

Check this out. This was today in La Porte Texas. She drove down the left track for about 1/2 mile. Straight at a manifest that was able to stop. She hit the switch and was thrown into the center track. Her car was wegded in the rails and she was done.

[Ted Marshall]

Car collision in a parking lot, SUV leaving backed into a sedan as it drove down the aisle, dude got out of the SUV walked over to the sedan, out stepped a midget who was fuming, "I'm not happy" he snapped, to which the dude replied, "Oh, then which one of the dwarfs are you?" Dude got a steel toe boot right into his shin and went down in extreme pain.

I'll bet you witnessed it as you were walking out of the store with your purchase. It must have occured in the parking lot at WAL-MART.

[vsmith]

Car collision in a parking lot, SUV leaving backed into a sedan as it drove down the aisle, dude got out of the SUV walked over to the sedan, out stepped a midget who was fuming, "I'm not happy" he snapped, to which the dude replied, "Oh, then which one of the dwarfs are you?" Dude got a steel toe boot right into his shin and went down in extreme pain.

[Poppa_Zit]

Perhaps so Ted, but you certainly don't need to be of one sex or another to be STUPID!

A woman and a man are involved in a car accident; it's a bad one. Both of their cars are totally demolished but amazingly neither of them are hurt.

After they crawl out of their cars, the woman, who is very attractive, says, "So you're a man, that's interesting. I'm a woman. Wow, just look at our cars! There's nothing left, but fortunately we are unhurt. This must be a miracle, a sign from above we should be friends and live together in peace for the rest of our days."

Flattered, the man replied, "Oh yes, I agree with you completely!"

The woman continued, "And look at this, here's another miracle. My car is completely demolished but this bottle of expensive cognac didn't break. Surely our fate wants us to drink it celebrate our good fortune."

Then she hands the bottle to the man. The man nods his head in agreement, opens it, guzzles half the bottle and then hands it back to the woman.

The woman takes the bottle, immediately puts the cap back on, and hands it back to the man.

The man asks, "Aren't you having any?"

The woman replies, "No. I think I'll just wait for the police..."

[eolafan]

Just an observation, but, has anyone else noticed that most times these cars that are driven onto the tracks are driven by women?

Not to knock women drivers at all, but why is it that when men drivers do this, their stories are noticeably absent from the news?

 

Perhaps so Ted, but you certainly don't need to be of one sex or another to be STUPID!

[Ted Marshall]

Just an observation, but, has anyone else noticed that most times these cars that are driven onto the tracks are driven by women?

Not to knock women drivers at all, but why is it that when men drivers do this, their stories are noticeably absent from the news?

 

[eolafan]

Check this out. This was today in La Porte Texas. She drove down the left track for about 1/2 mile. Straight at a manifest that was able to stop. She hit the switch and was thrown into the center track. Her car was wegded in the rails and she was done.

Gee whiz, they sure are putting lots of speed bumps on these Texas roads these days, aren't they? Duhhhhhhh

[Ted Marshall]

Check this out. This was today in La Porte Texas. She drove down the left track for about 1/2 mile. Straight at a manifest that was able to stop. She hit the switch and was thrown into the center track. Her car was wegded in the rails and she was done.

Wow! Look mom, no hands. Finally a road where I don't have to steer my car. Cruunch!!!

[Poppa_Zit]

Let's see.... our last vehicles:

1989 Ford Crown Vic -- I put 225,000 on it, gave to wife who sold it when it hit 315,000

1990 Lincoln Mark VII LSC -- Still drive, mint, 72,000 miles, runs like a Franck Muller Vegas Automatic

1995 Ford Explorer -- I put 190,000 on it, sold to friend, still running at 325,000

2002 Ford Explorer -- Still have, runs great, 145,000 miles original plugs

2005 Ford Explorer -- LN, 2300 miles

Wow!  Seems like you've learned the secret of vehicle longevity.  Do you do anything special to make them last so long?  And a 2005 Explorer w/2300 miles on it - do you just drive it enough to keep it running?

No big secret. Just oil and filter changes and lubes every 5,000 miles. Brakes and tuneup when needed, timely trans fluid changes. Maybe it's because I've always used Penzoil? And fixed the little things before they became big problems. Never had any big fixes -- just the normal rotor replacement when worn, shocks, tires, etc... and not a lot of stop-n-go rush hour driving.

Drive the 2005 (bought 10-05) only when we go out to dinner or I entertain clients. The '02 is my everyday ride.

Frequent washing -- even with Chicago winters and road salt none of the vehicles have any body rust or dents, either.   

[SALfan]

Let's see.... our last vehicles:

1989 Ford Crown Vic -- I put 225,000 on it, gave to wife who sold it when it hit 315,000

1990 Lincoln Mark VII LSC -- Still drive, mint, 72,000 miles, runs like a Franck Muller Vegas Automatic

1995 Ford Explorer -- I put 190,000 on it, sold to friend, still running at 325,000

2002 Ford Explorer -- Still have, runs great, 145,000 miles original plugs

2005 Ford Explorer -- LN, 2300 miles

Wow!  Seems like you've learned the secret of vehicle longevity.  Do you do anything special to make them last so long?  And a 2005 Explorer w/2300 miles on it - do you just drive it enough to keep it running?

[vsmith]

Check this out. This was today in La Porte Texas. She drove down the left track for about 1/2 mile. Straight at a manifest that was able to stop. She hit the switch and was thrown into the center track. Her car was wegded in the rails and she was done.

She was also probably gripping the whole way "Geez this is the crappiest road I've ever been on"...I would loved to have been there when she tried explaining this to Mr Insurance Investigator.

[Anonymous]

Check this out. This was today in La Porte Texas. She drove down the left track for about 1/2 mile. Straight at a manifest that was able to stop. She hit the switch and was thrown into the center track. Her car was wegded in the rails and she was done.

[Anonymous]

I didnt load the picture right. Now this post makes more sense.

[grampaw pettibone]

When I was in college in the '60s, one night, some local guy was given directions to go past a certain place and take the next left. That, he did, never mind that it was Southern RR track. Apparently, it was awfully foggy and until he met a local headon and realized his error by noticing the high hadlight, he assumed that it was just a bad road. Mercifully, the local was barely moving and was able to stop. Oh, he said he heard the horn and knew there was a train close by, but nothing clicked....... He was supposedly sober during all this

Tom 

 

[solzrules]

I could understand a wrong turn in unfamiliar territory in the dark, but a 1/2 mile?  You'd think when the shocks started bottoming out on the ties that maybe she'd figure out that this wasn't really a road for cars.  You'd think. 

 

[Anonymous]

Check this out. This was today in La Porte Texas. She drove down the left track for about 1/2 mile. Straight at a manifest that was able to stop. She hit the switch and was thrown into the center track. Her car was wegded in the rails and she was done.

[Poppa_Zit]

Let's see.... our last vehicles:

1989 Ford Crown Vic -- I put 225,000 on it, gave to wife who sold it when it hit 315,000

1990 Lincoln Mark VII LSC -- Still drive, mint, 72,000 miles, runs like a Franck Muller Vegas Automatic

1995 Ford Explorer -- I put 190,000 on it, sold to friend, still running at 325,000

2002 Ford Explorer -- Still have, runs great, 145,000 miles original plugs

2005 Ford Explorer -- LN, 2300 miles

[selector]

I am inclined to give this clearly distraught woman credit for being in a suitably emotional state due to the magnitude and potential danger to everyone involved, whether the passengers and crew on the train, the peace officers who were doing their duty to her as a member of the public, and for her own sake...was she a mother and wife, for example, and did it hit her hard at impact that she might not have seen her family again, or that they would have had to bury what was left of her.  Would her husband have been able to recognize her from the remains, and what would that have done to him?

Her tears and expressions of remorse are nothing more than gratitude, shock, fleeting and hurried thoughts and fears, and true regret for not having been more careful.

I think she just made an error, not an egregious one.  The cell phone thing is germane; I don't feel that it is sensible or that it ought to be acceptable to drive and manipulate a hand-held device at the same time.

[TimChgo9]

10 years and 145,000 miles on my Ford Aerostar with NO major repairs needed, EVER..... 

Got rid of my Chrysler mini-van after 80,000 miles because everything was falling apart. Oil leaks, front end trouble, electrical problems.  Let's see what happens with my Chevy Trailblazer... I've had it for a year and a half, bought it used.....so far, so good.

[SALfan]

I have been trying to get my wife out of her 99 Durango for years...155000 miles and one new motor, plus completely rebuilding the front and rear end.......

All of those repairs for only 155K miles?  Perhaps you should have bought a Ford instead

(1) If it had been a Fix Or Repair Daily, you would have had major component failure at about the first oil change (a certain '08 F-250 had that happen, Transmission).

(2) Boss Hen has a 2006 Durango, we'll probably have it until 2014-16. (I just saw my old '84 Dodge Ramcharger still going strong at 275,000.00 with minimal repairs.) 

Dirtybird,

Your experience sounds more plausable.  I just sold my (Found On Road Dead) Ranger; it had 150K miles and I NEVER had to do anything except routine maintenance on it...thats why I was so surprised at Ed's comments.

The little Ford Rangers must be very difficult to wear out or tear up.  Years ago one of my brothers bought one used (about 60K miles) and put well over 100K more miles on it, and he is rough on vehicles.  Same brother and his son have had 4 in the last few years (still have 3 of them) bought at auction when the state hwy. dept. got rid of them.  All four had from 180K to 220K miles on them when purchased, and two of them haven't required any repairs since purchased.  Amazing.

[chatanuga]

Hard to tell but I sure hope she was crying hysterically about nearly being killed and not what happened to her car.

I'm willing to guess she realized at that point how fortunate she was to be alive.  Think about it this way.  How many people have actually seen a train hit a car first hand?  While we may have seen a fender bender or something, seeing a car being obliterated for the first time would be very unnerving, especially if she was thinking about how she had been in that car just a few seconds before.

Back in 1990, a classmate of mine went into the side of Amtrak's Capitol Limited just west of Bucyrus, OH (http://chatanuga.org/HOL.html).  I've always been careful around trains, but seeing the wreckage left after that crash was very sobering.

[edblysard]

Engine died because one of the rear freeze plugs failed completely while she was on the freeway going to work...she couldn't get over to the shoulder before the engine seized up....rear end went because she decided to tow her fathers sailboat from Alvin to Galveston...we are talking a big boat...she didn't bother to ask me, or I would have checked the lube level in the differential...front end was rebuilt because at 155k, the upper A frame bushings went...might as well redo the rest while you have everything out...besides, how many Dodges make 100k with the original ball joints?

I have been trying to get my wife out of her 99 Durango for years...155000 miles and one new motor, plus completely rebuilding the front and rear end.......

All of those repairs for only 155K miles?  Perhaps you should have bought a Ford instead

(1) If it had been a Fix Or Repair Daily, you would have had major component failure at about the first oil change (a certain '08 F-250 had that happen, Transmission).

(2) Boss Hen has a 2006 Durango, we'll probably have it until 2014-16. (I just saw my old '84 Dodge Ramcharger still going strong at 275,000.00 with minimal repairs.) 

Dirtybird,

Your experience sounds more plausable.  I just sold my (Found On Road Dead) Ranger; it had 150K miles and I NEVER had to do anything except routine maintenance on it...thats why I was so surprised at Ed's comments.

[TomDiehl]

...."After Impact charbroiling the front of the lead engine"....If the condition would have allowed it..{In engine cab}, would it have been permissable if the engineer could have backed the engine away from the burning car, hence getting the train out of the fire range...?

Even if so though, I'm thinking perhaps if the train did go into emergency, it would take time to revive the brake line pressure to even back the train away and with a burning vehicle impacted on the front no one should stay in the locomotive cab. 

Your second paragraph is correct, it does take time to rebuild the brakeline pressure to release the brakes after going into emergency. With the flames of a burning car lapping at the windows of the cab, I don't think I'd be sitting in the cab waiting for that to happen.