Have you seen this video of a truck getting hit by an Amtrak train in California?
Amazing that no one was seriously hurt.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6985820/
Amazing that no one was seriously hurt.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6985820/
Video of Amtrak Train Hitting Truck
- Thread starter TomPM
- Start date
That is...
...absolutely freakin' kewl!
Especially the part about no one getting hurt!
Thanks,
Mark
...absolutely freakin' kewl!
Especially the part about no one getting hurt!
Thanks,
Mark
That is what I call a once in a life time video..Of course it doesn't say much about the intelligence of the trucker.. 
After all he/she should have known better then to stop on a railroad track...Unbelievable!
After all he/she should have known better then to stop on a railroad track...Unbelievable!Brakie, the thing is, the light turned green, the truck proceeded across the rails, the light turned red and the driver stopped for a red light, with his rear end partially on the rials, the gate arm came down on the truck as he was about half way across the rials. seems to me the intersections the problem, not the truck driver.
Let's see, stop on the rials or proceed through a red light to cause a vehicular accident, seems like he chose the lesser of two evils, thinking no train would pass before the light turned green again.
it's ironic that this was taped by a man trying to show that this intersection was indeed unsafe. the man figured he's catch the lights changing to fast, trucks stuck on the rials and that would be it. he didn't think he'd catch an actual accident.
Let's see, stop on the rials or proceed through a red light to cause a vehicular accident, seems like he chose the lesser of two evils, thinking no train would pass before the light turned green again.
it's ironic that this was taped by a man trying to show that this intersection was indeed unsafe. the man figured he's catch the lights changing to fast, trucks stuck on the rials and that would be it. he didn't think he'd catch an actual accident.
Jay,I finally read the story and here is what I find interesting:
Witnesses told police that the truck, driven by a Theresa Ann Senator of South Dakota, drove under the crossing arms that were being lowered and then stopped on the tracks, according to the Ventura County Star newspaper
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Then Mr.Medina said he felt the warning bells had not given the truck driver enough time to move out of the crossing.
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How can this be when the driver drove UNDER the gates as they as being LOWERED according to other witnesses??
LOL! I don't know!
Anybody?
Witnesses told police that the truck, driven by a Theresa Ann Senator of South Dakota, drove under the crossing arms that were being lowered and then stopped on the tracks, according to the Ventura County Star newspaper
======================================================
Then Mr.Medina said he felt the warning bells had not given the truck driver enough time to move out of the crossing.
========================================================
How can this be when the driver drove UNDER the gates as they as being LOWERED according to other witnesses??
LOL! I don't know!
Anybody?
Of course, how does an 18 wheeler truck, probably around 15ft tall, drive *under* lowering crossbars without hitting the trailer top and getting stuck, broken, etc...
Something about that doesn't sound right to me.
Something about that doesn't sound right to me.
They showed the full footage of this accident on the CBS evening news last night, including the events that led up to it. The way it looked was 1) a traffic light about 20-30 yards past the RR crossing turned green at almost the same instant that the lights and warning bells started at the crossing. 2) the truck driver pulled forward, apparently paying attention to the traffic light, not the RR crosssing lights. 3) the gate didn't start to come down until after the cab of the truck was on the tracks and past the RR warning lights. The footage shows the gate scraping the sidesof the semi trailer and bending really far backwards as it dragged along; it looked like the gate stopped moving once it got hung on the trailer. 4) the traffic light turned yellow, and the truck stopped, leaving her with the cab forward of the crossing but the trailer still half on the tracks. With traffic now moving in the intersection, she had no place to go. 5) BAM!
The videos at http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?channel=eveningnews about halfway down the page ("Mixed Signals")
The fact that the guy videotaping has two angles on the accident -- one from the back of the truck and one from the front, strikes me as a little weird, but he claims he was trying to document the dangers. Who knows.
That having been said, we've got a bunch of level crossings here in Rochester, and I always stop fully before the grade to make sure there's nothing coming (often to the chagrin of folks behind me!). There's been at least one accident with fatalities out here in the last couple of years in which salt from the road apparently shorted out the gates so they didn't come down (and lots of other instances when the gates stay down for hours at a time, with no train in sight, again because of salt shorting out the electronics). I don't quite trust Conrail enough to test my luck, especially with a kid in the backseat and the story in the papers at any rate has been that Conrail and the local municipalities don't/won't/can't communicate to sort out the problem (which is what CBS said was the case with this intersection in California too). Anyway, I was under the assumption that most commercial trucks and buses HAD to stop at level crossings; she either didn't stop or she didn't bother to look and see if a train was coming.
The videos at http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?channel=eveningnews about halfway down the page ("Mixed Signals")
The fact that the guy videotaping has two angles on the accident -- one from the back of the truck and one from the front, strikes me as a little weird, but he claims he was trying to document the dangers. Who knows.
That having been said, we've got a bunch of level crossings here in Rochester, and I always stop fully before the grade to make sure there's nothing coming (often to the chagrin of folks behind me!). There's been at least one accident with fatalities out here in the last couple of years in which salt from the road apparently shorted out the gates so they didn't come down (and lots of other instances when the gates stay down for hours at a time, with no train in sight, again because of salt shorting out the electronics). I don't quite trust Conrail enough to test my luck, especially with a kid in the backseat and the story in the papers at any rate has been that Conrail and the local municipalities don't/won't/can't communicate to sort out the problem (which is what CBS said was the case with this intersection in California too). Anyway, I was under the assumption that most commercial trucks and buses HAD to stop at level crossings; she either didn't stop or she didn't bother to look and see if a train was coming.
I know... I know I'm bad bad... BUT 37,000 pounds of Strawberries!
Talk about a Traffic JAM!
I think where the problem is that they need to put the Traffic light before the Rail Crossing.
We have a few "short areas" for traffic, a few get completely blocked if a Rig stops at the light.
That's my 2 pennies.
Talk about a Traffic JAM!
I think where the problem is that they need to put the Traffic light before the Rail Crossing.
We have a few "short areas" for traffic, a few get completely blocked if a Rig stops at the light.
That's my 2 pennies.
am i the only one here who has to think that with video cameras set up at 2 places and a big truck with no name on it anywhere all comming together at one place at one time to get hit by a train is a little odd? looked like a big set up to me.
I happen to be with...
...JB
The Videographer apparently had a (legal)problem there- and "I" understand that there be more than meets the eye-- C'mon- 2 Camerea angles- a poof of...
...but that video is still the absolu-freakin'-lutely most kewlest thing I've seen as far as trains blowin' up other things. Not that I'd encourage it or otherwise appreciate it for sensationalism.
Reel or Real???
Mmark
...JB
The Videographer apparently had a (legal)problem there- and "I" understand that there be more than meets the eye-- C'mon- 2 Camerea angles- a poof of...
...but that video is still the absolu-freakin'-lutely most kewlest thing I've seen as far as trains blowin' up other things. Not that I'd encourage it or otherwise appreciate it for sensationalism.
Reel or Real???
Mmark
The intersection and grade crossing are poorly designed. Any traffic engineer can tell you that. There is apparently no coordination between the traffic lights and the crossing gates. However, if this is a set up, and it probably is, all that they proved is the trucker was negligent. One, she failed to maintain an adequate lookout. Two, she failed to stop clear of the railroad tracks. Both are violations of the California traffic code and negligence per se. I hope Amtrak sues the trucking company and the driver for the damage done. Further, it would be good for the injurred passengers to do the same. If there is a connection between the photographer and the trucker/trucking company then Amtrak and the passengers should add the photographer to the cast of defendants.
Apparently the reason that there were two video cameras set up was because of a motorist who wanted to prove that the intersection was a "speed trap."
Buses stop at railroad crossings and look both directions for a good reason--to see if there's a train coming. Generally, if there isn't enough room for your vehicle to fit between the tracks and the car ahead of you waiting at the red light, it's a Bad Idea to move forward.
Buses stop at railroad crossings and look both directions for a good reason--to see if there's a train coming. Generally, if there isn't enough room for your vehicle to fit between the tracks and the car ahead of you waiting at the red light, it's a Bad Idea to move forward.
Chessie6459
Gauge Oldtimer
WOW , you would think people would be smart enough to not block a railroad crossing, but i guess they're are those few who choose to play chicken with a train.Truck driver: Did you see that???? That great Big train just jumped out of those bushes and ate my Truck.
"Somebody who only has a few seconds to decide could easily get confused." said the photographer. Confused? HOW? The crossing lights came before the traffic light. You don't run a red light just because the light down the street is green. Nothing to investigate here, the truck driver was 100% at fault. Sheesh, people like that is what give people like me (a 911 Dispatcher) job security....
Michael
The crossing lights came before the traffic light. You don't run a red light just because the light down the street is green. Nothing to investigate here, the truck driver was 100% at fault. Sheesh, people like that is what give people like me (a 911 Dispatcher) job security.... Michael
I went back and looked again, That really wasn't Lionel's "exploding trailer" was it!
Darn..........and I thought "what great CGI work"
Darn..........and I thought "what great CGI work"