Amtrak train hits truck in Lousianna 5/31

[AAARGH!]

Link Here.

It is an Amtrak Superliner. Judging by the timing/location, it was the #2 Sunset Limited.

From the poster:

I shot this video in the late morning of Sunday, May 31 2009 in Cade, Louisiana - right after I watched the train hit the truck with my own eyes. Everyone at the scene said they were alright, but a neighbor told me that the pickup also belonged to the driver of the semi. Talk about having a bad day!

Looks like the engine (#181) sustained some damage. Nose punched in and it looks like two broken windshields.

 

[MrFSS]

I was just on the CONO on 5/31 and 6/2 in Louisiana. A conductor told me it is one of the worse places in the country for trains hitting vehicles. That's why the engineer double blows the horn at all intersections. They really want people to know they are coming.

 

[AAARGH!]

I found this article about the incident also. It was the #2. The engine was too badly damaged to continue and the passengers were 'bustituded'. At least they didn't have far to go.

This is what the crossing looks like on Google Maps. No gates or lights.

 

[VentureForth]

This is what the crossing looks like on Google Maps. No gates or lights.

True - no gates or lights - but visibility doesn't seem to be any sort of a problem here. There IS a stop sign. If that law was followed, this incident may not have occured.

 

[VentureForth]

Actually, according to the comments and news article, it appears it happened here, where there is, indeed, a full crossing and lights.

 

[AAARGH!]

Actually, according to the comments and news article, it appears it happened here, where there is, indeed, a full crossing and lights.

I beg to differ. There was a comment about this road from a poster, but when I watched the video, I took note of where the poles, track signal, and (especially) a pair of signal boxes were located. The place I linked to has the same configuration. There was no Parish road in Cade according to Google maps.

Also, there were houses near the incident, where there are none at the location you indicated.

Lastly, in the video, there are no signs of gates or poles that would hold the gates / lights.

Whadja think? Is my evidence compelling?

 

[wayman]

This is what the crossing looks like on Google Maps. No gates or lights.

True - no gates or lights - but visibility doesn't seem to be any sort of a problem here. There IS a stop sign. If that law was followed, this incident may not have occured.

A highway engineer friend once told me there is only one federally required roadsign in the United States, which must be at every relevant location in the country: RR crossing.

Either

or

must be at every road-rail crossing. Lights and gates are not federally required, but may be required by state or local laws. It's also a federal law that school buses must make a complete stop at every railroad crossing before proceeding, even if no train is visible, the gates are up, the lights are not flashing, etc, as anyone who grew up with "Schoolhouse Rock" may remember (the passage of this law was the example used in the "I'm just a bill" song).

So, not only may a "stop" sign have been present and ignored, but there also should have been a "crossbuck" sign which was also clearly disregarded. There's really absolutely no excuse for the actions of this driver, or any driver in this situation....

 

[ourlouisiana]

Not wishing to contribute to an arguement, we passed the scene about 2 hours after the incident, the train still at a dead stop.

Arrrgh HAS the correct location, the crossing between LA 92 and Captain Cade Road. Venture forth suggests the Captain Cade Road crossing, which has an active warning device - gates and bells. The impact site has passive device - crossbucks and stop sign.

Louisiana law states that at a rail crossing, the TRAIN has right of way, regardless of warning type.

We shot photos, two of which we posted, http://www.pbase.com/ourlouisiana/image/113199255 and the following photo. We have more, but they have been submitted to DOT, so not wishing to compromise an investigation, we are not publishing them.

We understand that the passengers were bussed to New Orleans, Conrail (NS) locomotives were parked in the Cade siding, and were used to pull #2 there.

We have times #1 #2 several times while videoing, takes 45 seconds from the time warning device activates (bells begin) to passage of train.

Could have been much worse.

 

[AAARGH!]

We shot photos, two of which we posted, http://www.pbase.com/ourlouisiana/image/113199255 and the following photo. We have more, but they have been submitted to DOT, so not wishing to compromise an investigation, we are not publishing them.

Thanks for the added details.

Just curious, what additional photos could compromise an investigation? Of course you don't have to answer that, but I am left scratching my head. If you can eloborate, please do. I am not asking you to post them, but just for a bit of an explanation.

 

[p&sr]

Louisiana law states that at a rail crossing, the TRAIN has right of way, regardless of warning type.

Common sense would say the same thing. Just as with Ships versus Canoes... whoever is BIGGEST get the Right-of-Way!

 

[wayman]

Louisiana law states that at a rail crossing, the TRAIN has right of way, regardless of warning type.

Common sense would say the same thing. Just as with Ships versus Canoes... whoever is BIGGEST get the Right-of-Way!

Not always true... in the Netherlands, right of way is, roughly

1. Trains and Trams

2. Pedestrians

3. Bicycles

4. Motorized Bicycles

5. Horses

6. Motorcycles

7. Automobiles and Lorries and Tractors and Buses, etc.

If a bicycle and a car are going in the same direction towards an intersection and the car will turn right, it must stop and wait for the bicycle to go through the intersection before turning (across the path of the bike lane), even if the car is ahead of the bicycle.

(Note: this is from my memories of having studied the Dutch driving laws a few summers ago. I could be a bit wrong about the ordering, but the general tendency is that smaller things took precedence over larger things, with the exception of trains having absolute right-of-way.)

 

[ourlouisiana]

We were contacted by a DOT employee that we know, requesting additional photos, which we do have. He did not request us not to publish them.

We know that there will be lawsuits coming out of this incident. We are supplying the photos to this agency only for their investigative purposes.

Not that any liability is shown in the photos, we are not making them available for lawyers to probe and dissect.

As volunteer presenters for Operation Lifesaver, we will not participate in any blaming for this incident.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

that driver is going to sue amtrak. FOR WHAT its his fault he got hit amtrak should sue him for the damage to the loco.

 

[daveyb99]

We were contacted by a DOT employee that we know, requesting additional photos, which we do have. He did not request us not to publish them.

As a friend, you could comply.

As I see it, they are YOUR photos to do with what you want, including providing them to DOT, AMTRAK, the truck driver attorney (who will be contacting you as party to litigation), or to CNN or any press affiliate.

That is unless you SOLD your interest in those photos.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

that driver is going to sue amtrak. FOR WHAT its his fault he got hit amtrak should sue him for the damage to the loco.

Alternately, Amtrak might sue the people for placing themselves in their way and demand monies to repair the locomotive from their insurance company.

Also, the owner of that Dodge Ram might be suing the trucker.

 

[ourlouisiana]

An incident a few years ago, about 5 miles east of Sunday's incident.

In 2003, Hurricane Lily hit SW Louisiana and power was out for several days in a large area. A company in New Iberia supplied generators to many businesses, made a lot of money. Manager of the company owned a nice BMW.

One day he was going to his office as #1 was leaving. He tried to beat the train to a crossing, bells ringing, and didn't quite make it

through the crossing.

He violated Louisiana law by trying to cross in front of the train, he paid the price. Both his vehicle and the train were westbound, the highway parallels the tracks less than 100 ft from New Iberia to Cade. Why ??? No one will ever know. Why does anyone try to outrun a train.

His beneficiaries sued Amtrak, BNSF and UP (joint owners of the track) Louisiana DOT, each personally - the engineer, assistant engineer, conductor, and assistant conductor. Suites are still pending, this has yet to come to trial

Unfortunately this is common, more unfortuantely, most insurances will pay damages rather than go to trial - even though the one doing the suing is wrong.

As for the photos, we did not sell them, nor will we sell them. It is a personal decision. We posted the two photos to our site,

before our photos were requested, and chose not to show the rest.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

that driver is going to sue amtrak. FOR WHAT its his fault he got hit amtrak should sue him for the damage to the loco.

Alternately, Amtrak might sue the people for placing themselves in their way and demand monies to repair the locomotive from their insurance company.

Also, the owner of that Dodge Ram might be suing the trucker.

isn't that what i said also according to the link the truck driver owned the dodge ram.

 

[birdy]

I once went to a seminar where a gov't transportation official presented a study of the typical demographic of an at-grade RR accident victim. He said all this with a straight face:

1. Male,

2. 20's or 30's

3. Owns pickup.

4. Less than high school education.

5. Subscribes to one or two hunting/outdoor magazine.

6. Alcohol implicated in accident.

It was the first time I heard a redneck joke.

 

[Alice]

I once went to a seminar where a gov't transportation official presented a study of the typical demographic of an at-grade RR accident victim. He said all this with a straight face:
1. Male,

2. 20's or 30's

3. Owns pickup.

4. Less than high school education.

5. Subscribes to one or two hunting/outdoor magazine.

6. Alcohol implicated in accident.

It was the first time I heard a redneck joke.

This isn't all that far from the demographics of who acquires the most spinal cord injuries, so might not be a joke.