Should we have a pinned thread for "train hits..."

June 5, 2012 - Train hits person on NEC

HOLMESBURG - June 5, 2012 (WPVI) -- SEPTA and Amtrak crews along with police and fire officials are on scene after a person was struck and killed by a train in Philadelphia's Holmesburg section.

The person was struck just before 6:30 a.m. Tuesday on the tracks near Rhawn Street and State Road.

The victim, described as a 60-year-old white male, was pronounced dead at scene. There is no word on why he was on the tracks.

The striking train, Amtrak 110 traveling from Washington to New York, had 120 passengers on board when the incident occurred. None of the passengers were injured.

SEPTA had earlier suspended service on the Trenton Line, but it has since been restored.

There was no word on the identity of the person who was hit.

It would be a very depressing pinned thread. Also, not all that useful because most of us would probably ignore it - because its depressing.

It has been a couple of bad days for Amtrak hitting trespassers. Just saw this news article link on trainorders about 2 teenagers killed, one seriously injured last night in MO when their jeep was hit by the Texas Eagle because the kids were playing "ghost train"? ***? Just a sickening story to read.

Agree that it is sad. But they people (including myself sometimes) do post them. Maybe name it Train Tragedies and then people can choose to ignore it if they want.

afigg said:

It would be a very depressing pinned thread. Also, not all that useful because most of us would probably ignore it - because its depressing.

It has been a couple of bad days for Amtrak hitting trespassers. Just saw this news article link on trainorders about 2 teenagers killed, one seriously injured last night in MO when their jeep was hit by the Texas Eagle because the kids were playing "ghost train"? ***? Just a sickening story to read.

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Amtrak didn't "hit" trespassers... trespassers got in the way of the trains because they -- they trespassers -- are (or were) idiots. I only feel bad for the engineer and other train crew involved. For the dead? Darwin always wins.

Honestly, after a little while all the discussions on those threads sound exactly the same ... and the talk gets a little pointless.

AmtrakBlue said:

Agree that it is sad. But they people (including myself sometimes) do post them. Maybe name it Train Tragedies and then people can choose to ignore it if they want.

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How about: "Another One Bites the Dust!"

(and it's so strange when people are Shocked!Shocked! that Trains Crush Vehicles and Trespassers that Stupidly Walk onto the Tracks in front of an oncoming Train!! These folks must have been Asleep in Safety Class!!! Save your Sympathy for the Engineers and Train Crews and Passengers on these Trains! :help: )

jimhudson said:

AmtrakBlue said:

Agree that it is sad. But they people (including myself sometimes) do post them. Maybe name it Train Tragedies and then people can choose to ignore it if they want.

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How about: "Another One Bites the Dust!"

(and it's so strange when people are Shocked!Shocked! that Trains Crush Vehicles and Trespassers that Stupidly Walk onto the Tracks in front of an oncoming Train!! These folks must have been Asleep in Safety Class!!! Save your Sympathy for the Engineers and Train Crews and Passengers on these Trains! :help: )

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Sadly, we have parallels in in the Cave Diving community. Darwin frequents us too often. And the people for whom we need to have the sympathy are the volunteer divers who go into the cave and recover the body. They're also putting their lives at risk. They (the recovery divers) even have an organization:

afigg said:

It would be a very depressing pinned thread. Also, not all that useful because most of us would probably ignore it - because its depressing.

It has been a couple of bad days for Amtrak hitting trespassers. Just saw this news article link on trainorders about 2 teenagers killed, one seriously injured last night in MO when their jeep was hit by the Texas Eagle because the kids were playing "ghost train"? ***? Just a sickening story to read.

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We in the Ozarks have a fascination with ghosts. There are a number of local "ghost light" stories that follow similar patterns to this ghost train story. The places often become sites for local tourism, especially among teenagers. Probably the most famous light is in Seneca, near Joplin, but it seems almost every little town has their own "spook light." Here's an article that explains the phenomenon from an Ozarkian perspective: www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mostone/stories/harris.htm

6 ABC's chopper flew over the incident. 909 was the striking unit and was on the outside track. No idea on why it was on the outside track. 2150 was about to pull into PHL at that time so their shouldn't be a reason for it to be on the outside track.

Acela150 said:

6 ABC's chopper flew over the incident. 909 was the striking unit and was on the outside track. No idea on why it was on the outside track. 2150 was about to pull into PHL at that time so their shouldn't be a reason for it to be on the outside track.

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Train 110 is one of the two trains to stop at Cornwells Heights in the AM. There is no real platform to the inner tracks at CWH, so they usually shift them to the outer tracks.

Goat said:

Amtrak didn't "hit" trespassers... trespassers got in the way of the trains because they -- they trespassers -- are (or were) idiots. I only feel bad for the engineer and other train crew involved. For the dead? Darwin always wins.

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When something collides with a train the other object is generally crushed, pushed, or flung to another area. Just because someone or something is hit by a train does not infer malice on behalf of the train or criticism on behalf of the reporter. But that seems to be how some rail fans take it.

In any case, I doubt most pedestrians who are hit by trains are simply caught off guard. My guess is that most are on the tracks intentionally and ready to see their lives come to an end. However, I do not get the same feeling about drivers of cars and trucks. They just seem to not be thinking through what they're doing.

As for Darwin, I wonder when our blind consumption of resources will eventually do us in. When I was born there were around five billion morons running around. Now there are close to seven billion. Soon it will be ten billion. Somewhere around the fourteen or fifteen billion mark you have to assume that our current economic and political structure will be completely unable to sustain those types of numbers, quite possibly resulting in a great depression that is far longer and far deeper than anything we've ever seen in modern times.

Nickrapak said:

Acela150 said:

6 ABC's chopper flew over the incident. 909 was the striking unit and was on the outside track. No idea on why it was on the outside track. 2150 was about to pull into PHL at that time so their shouldn't be a reason for it to be on the outside track.

Click to expand...

Train 110 is one of the two trains to stop at Cornwells Heights in the AM. There is no real platform to the inner tracks at CWH, so they usually shift them to the outer tracks.

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Obviously forgot. But either way they'll only open a small handful of doors. One if not two at the cafe car and possibly BC. Unless there's a Keystoner behind him keep him on that track and board passengers from the inside track. It's not going to kill anyone to walk over a bridge plate. There's about 200 riders a year there. Out of the 5 days a week that Amtrak will stop there is a rider every 1 and a 1/2 days. So perhaps one in the morning and one the next evening? But who actually knows besides Amtrak? Most likely no one but the riders..

As a member speaking, I vote no to a pinned topic! I fell much more sorry for the train crews and responders involved than for those who get hit, either walking on the track or driving around the down gates!

My Mama told me to never cross a railroad track without looking, or when driving to expect a train to come soon when the crossing gate is down. She did not tell me not to walk down the middle of the interstate during rush hour, but I myself figured that would not be too smart a thing to do!

Even though this is a train site, should we have a pinned topic of those killed on the road by cars too?

I for one am sick and tired of every thread titled "#__ hits person or car"! I very rarely (if ever) see a thread titled "Car runs into the side of #__" - why not?

the_traveler said:

I for one am sick and tired of every thread titled "#__ hits person or car"! I very rarely (if ever) see a thread titled "Car runs into the side of #__" - why not?

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totally with you. I think that people should avoid walking onto train tracks as much as possible, and foolish teens should stop playing dangerous games about trains. Also, the train vandals better stop!

the_traveler said:

I for one am sick and tired of every thread titled "#__ hits person or car"! I very rarely (if ever) see a thread titled "Car runs into the side of #__" - why not?

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Oh come now, I thought California Zephyr hits irrigation system was unique, though I felt sorry for the engineers who suffered from the shards of glass from the windshield. But when a train hits an irrigation system, that's news worthy. My husband asked me a day or two ago if this sudden rash of accidents is typical, and how many trespassers are killed by Amtrak a year? The Texas Eagle was involved in three deaths in the last 3 days (1 in Fort Worth on Monday, and two in Poplar Bluff on Tuesday). Then there was Washington state and Philadelphia, all just since Sunday.

I agree with you about the irrigation - that's why I said "rarely"!

But you husband statement shows what I mean! "How many teenagers are killed by Amtrak?" Please tell us when was the last time he asked, "How many teenagers are killed by Greyhound?" or "How many adults are killed while walking to work?" or "How many people were killed on the Interstate in ______ last year?" Why single out Amtrak alone?

the_traveler said:

I agree with you about the irrigation - that's why I said "rarely"!

But you husband statement shows what I mean! "How many teenagers are killed by Amtrak?" Please tell us when was the last time he asked, "How many teenagers are killed by Greyhound?" or "How many adults are killed while walking to work?" or "How many people were killed on the Interstate in ______ last year?" Why single out Amtrak alone?

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Probably because it is so rare. Just like plane crashes where hundreds die but people forget that thousands die on the roads every ?day?

I wasn't suggesting the pinned thread because I like to read about these tragedies but as a way to "file" like threads together. Plus it might keep multiple threads from popping up about the same tragedy.

It was just a suugestion and I'm fine with not having a pinned thread.

Linda T said:

the_traveler said:

I for one am sick and tired of every thread titled "#__ hits person or car"! I very rarely (if ever) see a thread titled "Car runs into the side of #__" - why not?

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Oh come now, I thought California Zephyr hits irrigation system was unique, though I felt sorry for the engineers who suffered from the shards of glass from the windshield. But when a train hits an irrigation system, that's news worthy. My husband asked me a day or two ago if this sudden rash of accidents is typical, and how many trespassers are killed by Amtrak a year? The Texas Eagle was involved in three deaths in the last 3 days (1 in Fort Worth on Monday, and two in Poplar Bluff on Tuesday). Then there was Washington state and Philadelphia, all just since Sunday.

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And one at the Fairfield/Suisun City stop on the CC today.

I'm not singling out a certain city at all, but there might have been more murders in PVD last year then deaths on Amtrak over the past 10 years! Both inside and outside the train!

I am sick of hearing of "Amtrak deaths" alone! Less people on average SURVIVE a plane crash than are KILLED in an Amtrak crash!

To the topic title question...yes, I think there should probably be a dedicated "incident" thread for people who decide to occupy the same track space as a locomotive engine without being on board; you can probably also sweep "car hits train" incidents in there as well, as long as it's not like the Nevada accident (which is noteworthy in terms of how rare it was as far as causing on-board fatalities).

Here's another one though not amtrak this time. the guy was listing to music through his headphones when he was struck and killed. http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/18732918/man-fatally-struck-by-train-in-waterford-was-wearing-headphones

Nickrapak said:

Acela150 said:

6 ABC's chopper flew over the incident. 909 was the striking unit and was on the outside track. No idea on why it was on the outside track. 2150 was about to pull into PHL at that time so their shouldn't be a reason for it to be on the outside track.

Click to expand...

Train 110 is one of the two trains to stop at Cornwells Heights in the AM. There is no real platform to the inner tracks at CWH, so they usually shift them to the outer tracks.

Click to expand...

This one is actually a little interesting, because unlike other hits in the past few months, no name was ever released for the 60 year old man who was hit that day. I was on the train that morning, in the second car. It was a grizzly aftermath, by the look of things. Does anyone know anything about this gent, or his motivations?

John said:

Nickrapak said:

Acela150 said:

6 ABC's chopper flew over the incident. 909 was the striking unit and was on the outside track. No idea on why it was on the outside track. 2150 was about to pull into PHL at that time so their shouldn't be a reason for it to be on the outside track.

Click to expand...

Train 110 is one of the two trains to stop at Cornwells Heights in the AM. There is no real platform to the inner tracks at CWH, so they usually shift them to the outer tracks.

Click to expand...

This one is actually a little interesting, because unlike other hits in the past few months, no name was ever released for the 60 year old man who was hit that day. I was on the train that morning, in the second car. It was a grizzly aftermath, by the look of things. Does anyone know anything about this gent, or his motivations?

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No and quite frankly it's none of our business. Someone died. His family still mourns him. Why should we wonder why he got hit by a train? End of story.