Two girls killed while walking on NS tracks in Southern Ohio.

[mackb4]

 Sad news to read .

I work with these guys.Please pray for the families and crew.

Posted Wednesday, January 24, 2007 ; 05:31 PM

Train was going about 50 miles per hour. IRONTON, Ohio  -- Two teenage girls were killed and another was injured when they were hit by a Norfolk Southern train Wednesday afternoon. Ironton police and Ohio Highway Patrol were called the scene about 4 p.m., according to emergency dispatchers in Lawrence County. At least two of the victim's were trapped under the train, dispatchers said. Rudy Husband, a spokesman for the railroad company, said the train was loaded with 15,000 tons of coal. He said the victims, whose names have not been released, were walking near the track when they were hit. The speed limit for trains in that area is 50 miles per hour, he said. Husband said Norfolk Southern was sending an investigative team to the crash site. The train was headed to Ashtabula, Ohio, he said. Copyright 2007 West Virginia Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 

 

[Datafever]

Oh, my.  Another avoidable tragedy.  What a traumatic experience for all involved. 

[Railfan1]

[zardoz]

How is it that three supposedly conscious (I say that because they were walking, which is a conscious act) people get hit by something as loud and big as a coal train going 50mph? 

Were they all on their phones?  Or listening to music with headphones?  Or were they so drunk/stoned that they did not know what they were doing?  Or were they playing 'chicken'?

Three families devastated.  Two crew members traumatized. 

[ValleyX]

Yes, Zardoz, it's true.  We had a engineer hit a girl who was literally walking on the ties barefoot with a group of kids, teenager, all they could figure is that because she was barefoot, she wouldn't get back any farther than the outside edge of the ties, other kids screaming at her, but she never moved.  That crew was upset (putting it mildly) for a long time.

[Limitedclear]

Sad day.  I find it amazing that the media account says they were walking "near" the tracks. I suppose a 15,000+ ton coal train just jumped off the rails and chased them?!

LC

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

Sad day.  I find it amazing that the media account says they were walking "near" the tracks. I suppose a 15,000+ ton coal train just jumped off the rails and chased them?!

LC

Yes, leave it to the idiotic news media, they never seem to get anything right. I feel bad for the crew members of the train, as well as the family members of these girls who were killed.

CANADIANPACIFIC2816

[Datafever]

Yes, Zardoz, it's true.  We had a engineer hit a girl who was literally walking on the ties barefoot with a group of kids, teenager, all they could figure is that because she was barefoot, she wouldn't get back any farther than the outside edge of the ties, other kids screaming at her, but she never moved.  That crew was upset (putting it mildly) for a long time.

I'm surprised (well, maybe not) that one of the other kids didn't take the initiative to something more than just yell - like run over and physically pull her to safety, bare feet or not. 

[usersatch]

I guess she just had her nails done?

Hmm, bare feet on gravel or 1000 ton speeding train leading to dismemberment...tough choice.

[c60ac]

so many preventable tragedys lately. my question is what happens to the crew? are they given counseling and the like or simply hung out to dry. the horror of foretelling the immediate future from the cab must be unimaginable. i feel so bad for them because there is nothing they can do. how people can not respect 10000 tons is crazy. i work with heavy equipment and trust me i know where they all are. accident schmaccident, lives are forever altered. keep em upright.

[mackb4]

 Here's a little more information I got at work on this.

 The 3 teenage girls were chasing a puppy,and simply ran out in front of the train.

 Both Engineer and Conductor are doing better,as well as can be expected.I know these guys personally and their both husbands,fathers and granddads,and great people.

 I had my first crossing accident as Engineer back in 1994.Yes it was a fatal accident,but an accident.I don't blame the young man for coming across the crossing (there was no gates),he just wasn't paying attention.

 The railroad did offer me the chance to "speak" with someone,but did not elaborate when I said I could work it out.Now if they did this crew,I don't know.

 Most people don't intentionally run out in front of trains,but some take that chance and do,and they sometimes pay dearly for it.In this case the girls were young and it was purely and accident that could not be avoided.

[Northtowne]

  For what its worth, in the late 1950's (diesels were in) I worked at a lumber warehouse along side the Katy main line in McAlester, OK. Trains headed North coming into McAlester encountered a pretty good grade as they approached the South part of the City. They topped the grade about half to three quarter of a mile before they got to the warehouse. From there the grade was down hill all the way to the RI crossing in the middle of town. Many times I would be working outside the warehouse along side the track, and if my back was to the South, and especially if there was a South wind, a train would be almost beside me before I was aware of its presence.

 Northtowne