Community Chat

[terrier3]

On 2/4/2015 kittymomNC said:

The man behind her said the gate came down on her roof and slid toward the back. She apparently got out and went to look at the damage, then got back in the car and hesitated, then started to move forward - too late. He said he backed up and kept motioning for her to back up, but he had no idea why she did what she did. So sad for all.

The moral of the story...NEVER drive on to the tracks when the traffic ahead of you has stopped and you won't be able to get off.

I always stop early and leave the tracks empty - just like stopping before a cross walk....even if people behind me honk their horns!

I saw something interesting on TV...if your car becomes disabled on the tracks and you see a train coming...get out and run TOWARDS the train (on the side, off the tracks). This will prevent you from being hit with debris.

[muttmom]

The driver was from our town. Though I did not know her, it is my understanding she was well liked.

[Margo Channing]

I immediately flashed on the Diane Schuler incident--the mother who got stinkin drunk and killed herself and 6 innocent people on the Taconic Parkway several years ago by driving at a high speed while going the wrong way.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if, when the NTSB issues their report, it was found that she was under the influence of something.

[muttmom]

On 2/5/2015 Margo Channing said:

I immediately flashed on the Diane Schuler incident--the mother who got stinkin drunk and killed herself and 6 innocent people on the Taconic Parkway several years ago by driving at a high speed while going the wrong way.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if, when the NTSB issues their report, it was found that she was under the influence of something.

There was just an update on the story. There were eyewitnesses. I do not believe anyone has suggested alcohol was involved.

[Kalli]

Well, I know how focused I am when I'm on my way to work. It could be that she had so much on her mind she never even checked for the train, just thought of the possible damage to her car.

Also, if she had the radio blasting, she may not have registered that the train was almost upon her.

Sad for her family and for those who lost loved ones in this tragic accident.

[Margo Channing]

Well, I'll be interested in the NSTB's report when it is released.

[Shorty2U]

I just found out via my hometown news station online. A womans (from my hometown) husband is dead from that train wreck. His wife is from where I am from originally from and her parents still live there. The father in law was on the news crying terribly.

[PIT-HAG Melissa]

SO SAD...

[AuntG]

Wondering if the fact that traffic was re-routed due to another accident might have put this lady on a road she didn't normally travel. I know that if someone was yelling at me and blowing their horn, I might think they wanted me to move along, instead of backing up. I guess we will never know what was going on in her mind.

[JustJazzmom]

It's looking more and more that the driver got stuck on the tracks during a traffic jam when the gates went down. She got out of her car and then RETURNED to the car.

Sad, because whenever there's a traffic jam over railroad tracks, a car should NEVER proceed forward until there is enough room in the road for the car to fit AFTER it goes OVER the tracks.