Published Wednesday, April 9, 2003, in the Los Angeles Times Motorists blamed for train crashes Unusual string of accidents earlier this year was the result of driver carelessness, not trains, PUC says. By Darleene Barrientos News-Press GLENDALE CA -- The number of train-vs.-vehicle accidents in the area in January -- two of them in Glendale -- is unusual but not uncommon, according to a new report. A study conducted by the state Public Utilities Commission blamed drivers for the five Los Angeles-area accidents involving trains during that time. Four of the five accidents occurred along the Antelope Valley rail line, which runs from Lancaster into Burbank and Glendale on its way to Los Angeles. Two of the incidents, one in Glendale and another in the City of Industry, were ruled suicides. From October 1992 to October 2002, the commission's data analysis showed an average of 6.1 accidents per year for the 25 railroad crossings along the Antelope Valley rail line. Those accidents averaged to 1.3 fatalities and 1.2 injuries per year, according to the report. Four accidents resulting in four fatalities and 36 injuries in one month on the line is "very unusual," the report said. "The commission decided to take a comprehensive look at the Antelope Valley line," commission spokeswoman Sheri Inouye said. "Going forward, we're looking at other crossings along the corridor." The commission's report said no evidence was found to suggest any of the accidents were caused by faulty railroad warning devices or actions of the train operators. "Most problems involve vehicles driving onto tracks when they're not supposed to," said Lt. Don Meredith, head of the Glendale Police's traffic division. Meredith helped the commission put its report together by providing a history of accidents in Glendale. Jacek Wysocki was killed instantly Jan. 6 when a MetroLink train slammed into his truck in Burbank as he crossed Buena Vista Street from San Fernando Boulevard. The train derailed and injured more than 30 passengers. One of the passengers, Grace Midgley Kirkness, 76, of Newhall, died Jan. 21 of injuries she apparently suffered in the crash. Phillip Anderson, 52, was killed Jan. 27 after witnesses saw him pull onto the tracks at Grandview Avenue and San Fernando Road and wait for the train, police said. A suicide note was later found at his home in Burbank. For Los Angeles resident Amparo Esquibel, 52, a crash was apparently a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. She told police she drove her Jeep Cherokee over the first railroad track when the red lights on the warning devices flashed and its bells sounded Jan. 23. She said the crossing arm came down on her roof, and when she tried to back up, the opposite arm came down behind her. Esquibel told police she saw the train approaching and left her car to run for safety. The Amtrak train operator saw the car and applied the emergency stop brakes to slow the train to 50 mph, but still hit it. No one was injured when the train hit her car. "She was responsible because she didn't clear the tracks," Meredith said. MetroLink has tried to educate the public regarding safety around trains and train tracks, even if drivers do not see a train approaching, spokeswoman Sharon Gavin said. "You have to make sure that your car is clear," she said. "That's why the limit lines are there. We want people to be safe." Despite the frequency of accidents at the beginning of the year, Gavin said people shouldn't discount the safety of riding a train. "Trains are extremely safe as a way of travel," she said. "What we want is people to exercise caution around trains." Meredith said he feels safe in trains despite the recent accidents. "I'm looking forward to taking a train trip to San Diego," he said. "I have no qualms about the safety of Amtrak or MetroLink."
I am glad to see people taking an honest look at the situation, for a change. But, after reading the article, I got the feeling it was a statment of the obvious.
Only if some people had a brain to stay clear of the tracks and not try to beat us at crossings none of this would happen Look Listen Live Before Crossing RR Tracks those words might just save your life.
