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2 Amtrak trains in NC hit 2 trespassers

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2 Amtrak trains in NC hit 2 trespassers
Posted by blue streak 1 on Monday, January 13, 2014 8:34 PM

Title does not fully explain .  One train #75 hit a pedestrian in Raleigh.  Later #75  then hit another pedestrian  who had just been hit by an unidentified Amtrak train. 

Can not make this up.  Will be interesting if these reports are changed ?

http://myfox8.com/2014/01/12/man-killed-by-amtrack-train-in-greensboro/

http://www.wral.com/pedestrian-struck-by-amtrak-train-in-durham/13292744/

Seems it would be more likely in Chicago ?

 

Can you imagine driving a car and the same thing that happened to #75 happened to you ?

 

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Posted by Phoebe Vet on Wednesday, January 15, 2014 6:58 AM

 

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/01/14/4609981/officials-nc-rail-deaths-not-always.html#.UtaFc2CA1Ms 

A southbound Amtrak train struck a man walking on the tracks Sunday afternoon in Durham, then ran over a second man’s body in Greensboro -- but but investigators don’t know whether either death will be ruled accidental.

Train-related deaths spiked in North Carolina last year, and rail-safety experts say that as many as half involved something they don’t like to talk about: suicide.

“We see them walk to the tracks and jump in front of the train,” Paul Worley, the state Department of Transportation Rail Division director, said Monday. “We see them kneel and turn their backs, or look toward us. We see them run toward us. I hate to say that, but that’s what we see. There are so many suicides on the tracks.”

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/01/14/4609981/officials-nc-rail-deaths-not-always.html#storylink=cpy

Dave

Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow

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Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, January 15, 2014 7:27 PM

Had one yesterday die of head dislocation - laid his head on one side of the rail and body on the other.  After the train his head was dislocated.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by dakotafred on Wednesday, January 15, 2014 8:28 PM

It's deplorable -- and contradictory -- to make somebody else the involuntary instrument of your "suicide." There are cleaner ways, involving only yourself.  (Admittedly, somebody else always has to do the janitorial bit.) I hope train crews are able to shrug off these suicides as the base acts that they are and for which they bear no responsibility.

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Posted by schlimm on Wednesday, January 15, 2014 8:56 PM

dakotafred

It's deplorable -- and contradictory -- to make somebody else the instrument of your "suicide." There are cleaner ways, involving only yourself.  (Admittedly, somebody else always has to do the janitorial bit.) I hope train crews are able to shrug off these suicides as the base acts that they are and about which they bear no responsibility.


I agree, fred.  Many suicides are motivated out of anger at others, usually loved ones, though not sure with RR attempts.  I had two engineers as patients who had a hard time shaking off that image.   My hope is that depressed and emotionally disturbed folks can get the help they need so they don't resort to those measures, but that is not likely to happen..  

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Posted by BaltACD on Saturday, January 18, 2014 8:32 AM

Like it or not - persons operating trains, both passenger and freight over the road - have to accept the reality that the operation of those trains are going to kill someone - be it a trespasser, walking, lying or sitting on the tracks - be it someone(s) at a road crossing that can't weight for a train.

It is all a matter of when - not if.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by schlimm on Saturday, January 18, 2014 7:14 PM

BaltACD

Like it or not - persons operating trains, both passenger and freight over the road - have to accept the reality that the operation of those trains are going to kill someone - be it a trespasser, walking, lying or sitting on the tracks - be it someone(s) at a road crossing that can't weight for a train.

It is all a matter of when - not if.


It is certainly true.  I saw the stat somewhere, but the number of fatalities involving suicidal pedestrians is quite high and to a lesser degree with vehicles, as well.  And almost always, there is no way for the train engineer to stop in time.

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Posted by Firelock76 on Saturday, January 18, 2014 7:55 PM

New Jersey Transit's had a rash of suicides by train in the past year, at least two dozen.  The ironic thing is, after NJT started an aggressive safety program to prevent accidental deaths by train the accidents went down, but the suicides went up.

It's also interesting how the sympathy quotient's gone down for the suicides as well.  Comments in the local on-line papers have gone from "Oh, how terrible!"  to "Thanks a lot, a******, you made me late for work!"   All the sympathy's reserved for the train crews now.

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Posted by erikem on Saturday, January 18, 2014 11:00 PM

There isn't much sympathy for suicides on the LOSSAN corridor either. Most recent comment was "that was their choice".

A bit more tragic was the death of a former mayor of Del Mar who was hit while trying to save his dog from being hit.

- Erik

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