Train and wheelchair contact produces tragic accident....

[Anonymous]

The tracks that run through Muncie are on the south side of downtown where there is mostly closed down factories and warehouses. I don't see all that many pedestrians or motorists as I go by. Most motorists use the underpass to avoid waiting at the gates,w hich is fine by me because that's a lot less cars I have worry about slamming into!

[Chris30]

First, I'm surprised that nobody tried to come to the aid/rescue of the person who was stuck on/in the tracks. Maybe nobody was around.

Second...

QUOTE: We have a assisted living facilty in the next town where my daughter in law works. The town put in wide access lanes for the motorized chairs. The residents have full access to all businesses in town. They go up to the bars late at night, get drunk, then run the chairs right down the middle of the street.

I'm no lawyer... but this sounds like DUI to me! And please, no jokes about making a person in a motorized chair get up and walk the line.

CC

[Anonymous]

Valley, et all.

Mr. Gillespie is a conductor. I'm also thinking that a reporter used the word "driven" as that term in not widely used on the railroad. I also heard from the railroad pipeline that the person in the wheel chair tried to beat the train and it was way too late to get the train stopped. I agree with you, Valley, I'd love to go 31 years without ever having run over someone or hit a car, but I've got a very long way to go!

[cherokee woman]

My deepest sympathies to all involved.

[daveklepper]

I certainly feel as much compassion for the train crew as I do for the handicaped's family.

[Modelcar]

...Yea, Brian...I suppose the caster type wheels in front would be a hazzard of dropping down into the flange slot and become mired, etc.....Extra care surely must be used in trying to get across a rail crossing.

[Anonymous]

We have a assisted living facilty in the next town where my daughter in law works. The town put in wide access lanes for the motorized chairs. The residents have full access to all businesses in town. They go up to the bars late at night, get drunk, then run the chairs right down the middle of the street. Sooner or later something is going to happen and then it will be the drivers fault. Have seen them repeatedly abuse the privaledges the town has spent money on to make it easier for them. I feel for their problems, but at some point you are still responsible for your own actions.

[bbrant]

Quentin -

About a month or 2 ago I was going by the CSX yard in Somerset on the S&C. As I was driving down Center Ave. I saw a bunch of people gathered at the railroad crossing there. When I got up to the area, it looked like they were freeing a person who's wheelchair was stuck on the tracks.

Luckily, no trains were coming. By the time I went through the area again (roughtly 1/2 hr later), everyone was gone so, fortunately, there was no incident. Made me wonder how often that happened - that wheelchairs got stuck on the tracks. Guess it happens more than I thought and sadly not all have a good outcome.

[Modelcar]

ValleyX....That's why I indicated "railroad personnel" in my post as I wasn't sure what the newspaper was reporting re: Conductor or Engineer.....and "driving" trains, etc...

[SealBook27]

QUOTE: Originally posted by eolafan

Tragic? Yes, to be sure! However, say what you want about the rights of physically impaired folks, and they DO have rights, but they also have the need and responsibility to take into consideration that they can not move about and navigate in public the same way non impaired folks do...and so this person had the personal responsibility to make 150% sure that he or she was not in the way of any train, bus, car, truck, or anything else before attempting to cross the tracks.

First off, in no way do I feel callous about this tragedy. Making a small mistake such as this really doesn't deserve the death penalty.

However, in the four years I have worked for a state-wide transit company(which regularly transports the handicapped) I have seen plenty of instances where some people in wheelchairs are very careless and cavalier about their safety. At our bus station some of them often zip between buses just when we're pulling out. Many, many times your see them running alongside the traffic in the street instead of on the sidewalks. Two sisters, who were both in wheelchairs, were running thru the right-turn lane of a state highway (totally interfering with traffic trying to enter the Motor Vehicle Dept.) and ignoring the sidewalk!

One of these sisters was eventually hit by a car while she was running along the street in the dark. The local newspaper article was very sympathetic to her plight because she was afraid the condition of the sidewalk might tip over her chair (a valid point). But it failed to mention why she was there in the first place: up the street was the bus station where she could ride home for free. If she had arranged for a paratransit bus, she would have had to pay one dollar.

We had another man who was shot to death in someone's home, most likely because he had a drinking problem and became mouthy to the wrong person.

To be honest, most wheelchair riders are much more considerate and careful. We had one rider who was able to step out of her chair and take a nearby seat. But first she would tie down the empty chair herself to help out the driver (who is, of course, responsible to check).

I often wonder if anyone actually trains these people properly so that they don't invite such accidents. And some have chairs that really aren't in proper shape. Some better training and supervision seems to be needed.

[ValleyX]

"Driven" trains for 31 years? The conductor? You have to wonder if Mr. Gillespie was the conductor or the engineer, perhaps Nathan can tell us. I'll bet he's never seen the first steering wheel and, despite what they say in England, I still think you "run" trains. And to have never hit anyone in all that time, I think that's amazing, his time on the railroad is comparable to mine and if he's been a road employee the vast majority of that time, then he's been very fortunate indeed, and I'm sorry to see that he didn't make it all the way through without a incident.

Sounds like the deceased shouldn't have been out and about but who am I to judge, but still. . .

[Anonymous]

A terrible situation for all involved[V][V]

[alstom]

That sure is a tragedy. A train out here in Ohio only 2 miles away from my house derailed. By the way they described it, I must know how it felt. Thats all, I have no idea what to say.[:(][:(]

[JoeKoh]

my condolances to all the parties involved.
stay safe
Joe

[Modelcar]

...For anyone interested you may be able to pull up the article in the Muncie paper on here: Try....The Muncie StarPress

[Modelcar]

...MC....I really can't say what the wheelchair caught in but knowing what that crossing looks like I would GUESS a wheel dropped in a flangeway slot.
And as for the individual the article in the paper indicated this person {on the wheelchair}, had some problems that may have impaired his thinking in making it safely across that crossing...Believe there are 3 tracks at that location......

[Anonymous]

Both the engineer and the conductor are among the best and most experienced at our terminal in Indianapolis. I know that they did whatever they could in that particular situation. Both conductor and engineer are marked off for a few days to recover. It's sad that happened as I'm sure the person in the wheelchair had to feel doomed, I can't even imagine......[:(]

[eolafan]

Tragic? Yes, to be sure! However, say what you want about the rights of physically impaired folks, and they DO have rights, but they also have the need and responsibility to take into consideration that they can not move about and navigate in public the same way non impaired folks do...and so this person had the personal responsibility to make 150% sure that he or she was not in the way of any train, bus, car, truck, or anything else before attempting to cross the tracks.

[mudchicken]

Mc:

Caught in the flangeway or something else? Have worked train wheelchairs in Albuquerque and LA that were suicides, not fun to deal with.[:(][:(][:(]

[Modelcar]

...Paper reported railroad personnel on the train had 31 years of service and never had contact with anything at a crossing in all those years.

[railfan619]

Yes that is turely sad and I am sure that the train crew is feeling even worse and. I now I am sure that persons family is going to sue the railroad. For not making the attemp to try stop in time even though the 1st guy said the train was to close to stop. Or they may even sue the city for not soomthing out the sidewalk where the tracks cross it.

[markperr]

That's a real tragedy. Of course, if it were a Monty Python bit, I'd probably be rolling on the floor laughing about now.

Mark

Oh, I'm going to hell for that one.[^]

[Modelcar]

...Yesterday a tragedy here in Muncie occured between a train and a motorized wheel chair. Wheel chair seemed to get a wheel stuck as the person was crossing the tracks and as luck would have it a train was too close and hit the occupant and chair and the person was killed. Person had some problems and may not have realized the situation before he moved onto the crossing. Striking force knocked the chair and person about 30 ft to the side of the tracks. Speed limit for train passing through town at that point is 30 mph.