Philadelphia Inquirer - April 5 2002 Man killed walking along tracks UPPER DARBY, Pa. -- For the second time in nearly a month, a pedestrian has been killed by a SEPTA commuter train while taking an illegal shortcut across railroad tracks. SEPTA officials said the latest accident killed a man as he walked along the R3 Media/Elwyn line, near the Lansdowne station, yesterday morning. The victim was walking along the tracks near Union Avenue and Baltimore Avenue at 11:30 a.m. when he was hit by a southbound train traveling to Philadelphia, according to SEPTA spokesman Felipe Suarez. Police were withholding his identity until relatives were notified. On March 11, 84-year-old William Rossky was hit by a commuter train as he tried to take his daily shortcut across the tracks near his home in Glenside, Montgomery County. Rossky, a retired Temple University professor, died of his injuries early the next day. Another SEPTA spokesman, Gary Fairfax, said yesterday that SEPTA may conduct a "safety blitz" at the Lansdowne station, handing out pamphlets and talking to commuters about the dangers of crossing railroad tracks. SEPTA recently finished such a seminar in Croydon, Bucks County, and had conducted one in Glenside before Rossky's death. Unlike other popular shortcuts across SEPTA tracks - such as the ill-fated one Rossky took - SEPTA has not had a problem with pedestrians walking on the tracks near Union Avenue, Suarez said. "We've not had similar incidents on that line at that location." But, about a mile down the tracks, closer to the next stop, two teenagers died eight years ago. The victims, 13 and 14 years old, were struck while taking a shortcut the night of June 10, 1994, near the Fernwood-Yeadon station, also in Upper Darby. In 1989, a 33-year-old man was killed near the same spot. The area where yesterday's accident happened is a mix of houses and businesses. Summer Kalin, 25, an employee at Seiple's Collision in the first block of Union Avenue, said she sees a lot of people cutting across the tracks there. Suarez said R3 outbound trains to Media were halted by the accident for about 90 minutes, with commuters forced to use shuttle buses between the Lansdowne and Fernwood-Yeadon stations as police investigated. Full rail service was restored about 3 p.m. The Delaware County Medical Examiner's Office said an autopsy would not be complete until today.
This may sound Harsh, but in light of Watash's posts in the last few weeks....I honestly don't feel so sorry, I mean they play with their lives everytime they do that.And yet another crew has to live with it. All my simpathy goes to the crew of that train and their families.....LOOK LISTEN AND LIVE!!!
Can't say as I disagree with you- if I were running the campaign, I'd have color shots of the front of these SEPTA trains after such an accident, with the names of the recently departed.
Bob, Thank you, I was a little nervious for posting that, but I thought I should as those are my feelings.
Here in Sydney we would average 2 to 3 deaths a week. Most of the time it is due to suicides or trespassers. As much as our rail corridor is fully fenced this never seems to be a deterent for taking a short cut.
No problemBN9900- we just gotta watch how strong, or hostile, or whatever, we respond to posted news. You're fine, though- good run!
