Car crash into standing CSX

SD40T-2 Jun 12, 2008

  1. SD40T-2

    SD40T-2 TrainBoard Member

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    5 people die when they drive into a freight train *video*
    Below is a link from the Orlando Sentinel. Video is from the Seminole County, FL Sheriff's Dept Helicopter that was following a Chevy Avalanche. The vehicle ran straight into a Train at full speed. All 5 People in the Car were killed instantly. This happened yesterday in a North Suburb of Orlando. Impact is at about 1:38 of the video.



    Gary Taylor and Bianca Prieto | Sentinel Staff Writers
    6:23 PM EDT, June 11, 2008

    With a Seminole County Sheriff's helicopter overhead, a truck slammed into the side of a stopped train late Tuesday, killing the four men and one woman inside. Florida Highway Patrol troopers estimate the Chevrolet Avalanche was traveling 74 mph when it hit the train, Sheriff Don Eslinger said.

    The driver, who was identified as Jason James Fitzgerald, 22, of the Longwood area, did not attempt to stop before crashing between two train cars just before midnight Tuesday, said FHP Sgt. Jorge Delahoz. It took several hours to remove four bodies from the smashed truck. A fifth person identified as Anthony Ortiz, 50, was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center and later died at the hospital.

    Troopers this morning identified the driver as the son of one of the other occupants, but Seminole County Sheriff's spokesman Lt. Dennis Lemma said his agency has just determined that the 21-year-old DeBary man is still alive. Passengers Jeffrey Daniels, 48, of the Longwood area and William H. Richardson, 54, of Sanford, were killed, troopers said. The driver was mistakenly identified as Richardson's son, William Preston Richardson, who is still alive, Lemma said. The female passenger was just identified as Mary E. Reil, 17, of Sanford.

    The crash occured more than an hour after Sanford police tried to stop the sport utility vehicle for the second time in less than 24 hours, but a video recorded by the helicopter shows no patrol cars were behind the vehicle when it crashed.

    A Sanford police officer stopped the vehicle because it was considered suspicious about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday at 25th Street and U.S. Highway 17-92, Lemma said. The driver stopped, but when the officer walked up to the SUV he sped away and the officer did not follow, Lemma said.

    About 10:50 p.m. Tuesday the same officer was back on duty when he saw the vehicle on U.S. 17-92 and again tried to stop it. This time the officer followed while calling for the helicopter.

    He followed the vehicle through the Goldsboro area as it narrowly avoided a collision once when turning onto 13th Street. Just before the SUV reached 18th Street, a deputy in the helicopter used the radio to tell the ground units they had the vehicle in view. A supervisor radioed to the officer to back off and when the SUV turned onto 18th Street, the patrol car kept going straight, the video shows. Most of the time the headlights of the SUV were off.

    Just before the SUV reached Southwest Road, a deputy parked at Dixie Way tried to throw out tire-deflation devices. The truck tires did not hit the spikes on the stick, Delohoz said.

    "I doubt the driver even knew he [the deputy] was there," Lemma said. By that time he was so close to the intersection and to the railroad crossing on the west side of the intersection that is doubtful he could have stopped, Lemma said.

    The SUV hit between two cars of the 62-car train, which was stopped while changing crews just north of the crash site. The train crew was not injured.

    Drug paraphenalia, including a crack pipe, were found in the vehicle, Eslinger said.


    Video:
    http://www.orlandosentinel.com/video...aerials-061108
     
  2. SD40T-2

    SD40T-2 TrainBoard Member

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    Had to think more than twice before posting this graphic scenario. The idea was not to convey morbidity but rather another facet of the incredibly stupid things that in reality do occur. My apologies for any offence.
     
  3. SteamDonkey74

    SteamDonkey74 TrainBoard Supporter

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    No offense here. I am just speechless at how, ummm, idiotic some people can be. I hope no one on the train was hurt. I feel badly for the people affected by their deaths, and I am sorry that the poor choices of the driver (and possibly those in the car) led to their deaths, but I don't know how anyone else could have reasonably prevented it.
     
  4. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    What the heck were they thinking? :tb-wacky:

    Boxcab E50
     
  5. SteamDonkey74

    SteamDonkey74 TrainBoard Supporter

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    They probably weren't. It's hard to think clearly when you're on hard drugs. I am guessing that, given the evidence at the crash site, there were drugs involved.

    I don't even drive when I am taking my prescription antihistamines on bad allergy days.
     
  6. MP333

    MP333 TrainBoard Supporter

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    Well, there's your clue! :tb-sad:
     
  7. Chad Cowan

    Chad Cowan TrainBoard Member

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    While my condolences go out to their families, I certainly hope we don't end up seeing CSX facing litigation at some point for 'blocking the crossing' or 'lack of crossing gates', etc. I can easily envision lawyers circling the families already. It's tragic but also a good indication of the dangers of running from law enforcement officers.

    Chad
     
  8. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I saw the line about what was found in the vehicle. I guess we'll know for certain next week.

    Boxcab E50
     
  9. fitz

    fitz TrainBoard Member

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    Hope that wasn't one of my relatives. Sheesh, how stupid. :tb-sad:
     
  10. YoHo

    YoHo TrainBoard Supporter

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    They were known cocain addicts and the girl was a prostitute.

    The impact is pretty amazing. The engine shoots out of the car and through the hoppers.
    I was a little concerned that the cops were so blase' about the fire coming from the wreck embedded in 100s of tons of coal.
     
  11. SteamDonkey74

    SteamDonkey74 TrainBoard Supporter

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    The worst car wreck I've been in was in California on Highway 101 near King City. A person whom we later learned was practically asleep in an alcoholic stupor came flying up the grass median and became airborne and ran into us at about 10 degrees off head-on.

    We ripped the front off his car and I remember seeing his engine, one of those giant mid-70's Buick Riviera engines, way off on the gravel next to the emergency lane probably 50 yards away from where we disconnected it.

    People like to think of their cars as protecting them, but really, throw in a rapid change in momentum and they fly apart, too.

    (I can't believe I am relating that awful event as my 1600th post.)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 14, 2008
  12. Colonel

    Colonel Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    looks to me that they turned off there headlights and didn't see the train although you think they would have seen the level crossing activated with its flashing lights
     
  13. N-Jineer

    N-Jineer TrainBoard Member

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    IMHO, they probably thought they were approaching a Police road block.

    Looking at it again, it seems to me that one of the crossing barriers was non operational - from the angle the barrier's at, and with the way it's hooked up in the train, I can't see how the Chevy did that. I wonder if the train was stopped because it had taken out that barrier?
     
  14. Flash Blackman

    Flash Blackman TrainBoard Member

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    The article states the train was stopped for a crew change.
     
  15. Route 66

    Route 66 TrainBoard Member

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    Look at the ages of two of the dickweeds (48 & 50 years old) Kind of wonder how they were allowed to make it in life this long with their history. The police made the famous statement we broke off the pursuit!!!!they weren't being chased.. lol
     
  16. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    Oh well, just a few more candidates for the annual Darwin Awards.
     
  17. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Adding to a long, long list of nominees...

    Boxcab E50
     

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