Talk about a low-rider

ezdays

Out AZ way
Here's a shot of what happens when your vehicle is too low for the grade crossing.:eek: :eek: Train crossing accident
Just hover over the picture to read the caption.

This happened in Wickenburg, a few miles from where I lived and pretty close to the center of town. This is right in front of the Wickenburg depot..
 

ezdays

Out AZ way
Here's the same thing in color from the Wickenburg Sun:
Train crash
Based on what I remember, that crossing has a rather short but steep approach anyway. I used that crossing frequently when we lived there.
 

Bones

Member
There used to be a crossing like that directly in front of an apartment I lived in as a kid. We always used to run outside when the 5 O'clock freight rolled through. We wanted to see if the 'crazy guy' would make it that day.
You see... there was a very rich bank executive living a few miles down the road on his 'estate'. On the days when he drove his Lamborghini Countach, he would race the train if he approached as the gates fell. His car would even fit just under the gate, if he was brave enough to blast through. (he wouldn't try with his Ferrari Testarossa, Aston Martin V8 Vantage, or DMC-12) Because of the steep incline on the grade crossing..... the Countach would be airborn for 50-75 feet if he really stomped the pedal.
He never hit the train, and the train never hit him. He did, however, have to be towed home after a rough landing. We never saw the Countach or Ferrari again. (no idea where the Ferrari went) He sat there in his DMC-12 or Vantage like everyone else in the free world, waiting for the train to pass.
Either way, we used to love watching the Utah Railway locos approaching while we waited to see if the train racing fool would be 'on time' that day. Seeing his cars was enough of a thrill as a kid. The days he jumped the Countach.... they were exhilarating.

Sorry, I rambled again. I like telling stories of the crazy memories archived in my brain, and this brought one of them back to life.
 

TrainNut

Ditat Deus
Bones, that's a cool story. What kind of a man (much less one who can afford several of that level car) would drive one with such reckless abandon carelessly risking damage. Oh yeh.... one with more money than he knows what to do with. I know, I know... a car is a car... but jumping a Countach?!

Don,
Upon further examination, it's a little hard to tell after the damage n all but that truck does not appear to be lowered. It looks to me as if it is stock. Then they mention something about fresh gravel on both sides of the crossing. I was being condescening before about the construction company getting the blame for it but the more I think about it, how deep was that gravel that a full size truck could not clear the crossing. Either that or the driver of the vehicle just dug themselves in and dropped it right down on the frame.
They could not have framed that depot any more perfectly in the shot.
 

ezdays

Out AZ way
...Don,
Upon further examination, it's a little hard to tell after the damage n all but that truck does not appear to be lowered. It looks to me as if it is stock. Then they mention something about fresh gravel on both sides of the crossing. I was being condescening before about the construction company getting the blame for it but the more I think about it, how deep was that gravel that a full size truck could not clear the crossing. Either that or the driver of the vehicle just dug themselves in and dropped it right down on the frame.
They could not have framed that depot any more perfectly in the shot.
No, I didn't think it was lowered either, that was just kinda tongue-in-cheek stuff. From the description of the accident, I doubt that a low rider would have made it past the first rail. If pulling on the truck with a chain didn't budge it, I can only guess she spun it pretty deep into the gravel. Fortunately, the train couldn't have been going very fast to have been able to stop in 100 feet.
 

ezdays

Out AZ way
The whole story is here as reported by The Wickenburg Sun. There is a bit more to it than first reported and I guess it's difficult to place the blame, it could be BNSF, the Town of Wickenburg, the driver or even the people that were walking across the road at the time:confused:... I guess it's best left up to the lawyers and the courts since I can't see this not winding up in a lawsuit. :rolleyes:
 
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