VA - Amtrak Train hits garbage truck, 1 killed, Crozet, Jan 2018 *civil suit in 2021*

[CARIIS]

Expert on MSNBC would take about half a mile to a mile to stop based on estimated speed of 55 mph

 

[Spellbound]

What I dont get is the cab is configured as an 18 wheeler as it relates to the number of tires on the cab part??

Does this help ... pic of a truck like the one destroyed:
http://www.timedisposalinc.com/

 

[CARIIS]

To maybe explain why the workers didnt realize the train was upon them I think you dont always hear the trains like you think you would. Especially if their own engine was running in the truck they were on. Their own engine noise may have drowned out the approaching trains noise.

Also if they were on back of the truck they may have not had a clear view of the coming train.

Many years ago I had a really close call when I was crossing some railroad tracks. It was one that had no gates and just had lights. For some reason I didnt see any blinking lights and just as I got over the tracks I saw in my rear view mirror the train zooming past. It scared the daylights out of me and ever since then I am especially careful when crossing tracks. I never heard a thing either. I was inside my car though with windows rolled up so that may have blocked out the noise.

I could see where the driver may not have heard anything if he was inside and had windows up.

I am sure there will be a full investigation to help understand what happened.

that makes sense about not hearing they would be focused down on the ground if they bottomed out and he might have been revving engine to try and get it off

in addition with the images I saw for this company they were all regular trucks

this was def an not one of them the longer the truck the higher the chance of bottoming out

check out the rear tires on the cab here


maybe this was a new addition to the fleet and they were not familiar with the longer one bottoming out at this crossing >>

google images


theirs were similar to this kind

 

[Hatfield]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=L-HY7RAs6AQ

[video=youtu;L-HY7RAs6AQ]http://youtu.be/L-HY7RAs6AQ[/video]

Wow. It did rip the whole back of the truck off its frame. Must have been a terrible impact.

 

[FindHG]

[video=youtube;4QYsvq2HFxA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QYsvq2HFxA[/video]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crozet,_Virginia

 

[Hatfield]

JMO
I think I may understand the pictures better now.

Since there are engines on both ends of the train that is what is confusing. The engine that we see near the truck I believe may have been the back of the train.

I think the front of the train had hit the truck and shoved it off to the side of the tracks and a little in front of the crossing area. Then as the train came to a halt the last car of the train was the back of the train which also was another engine attached.

Where we see the truck debri is after the impact and in the direction the train must have been moving. You can see the crossing near there.

I may be wrong but its the only thing that seems to make sense based on the pictures.

 

[CARIIS]

J_in_C you will have to keep us informed. With those crossing gates down, I just cannot see how this happened. I guess it could have been stalled on the tracks, the gates came down on either side of it. But why on Earth would the trash crew have not ran away? The cab doesn't look too badly damaged, so I am speculating the driver survived.

i kinda am leaning in bottomed out s opposed to stalled -- jmo

 

[FindHG]

JMO
I think I may understand the pictures better now.

Since there are engines on both ends of the train that is what is confusing. The engine that we see near the truck I believe may have been the back of the train.

I think the front of the train had hit the truck and shoved it off to the side of the tracks and a little in front of the crossing area. Then as the train came to a halt the last car of the train was the back of the train which also was another engine attached.

Where we see the truck debri is after the impact and in the direction the train must have been moving. You can see the crossing near there.

I may be wrong but its the only thing that seems to make sense based on the pictures.

You make perfect sense, Hatfield. Sounds just like what may have occurred. Sounds like it could've been much worse.

 

[PrairieWind]

Expert on MSNBC would take about half a mile to a mile to stop based on estimated speed of 55 mph

That would be the case perhaps if the train were on the tracks. But the front engine jumped the track. So the train would come to rapid stop. Additionally, one of the passengers said the train was slowing before impact.

 

[PrairieWind]

i kinda am leaning in bottomed out s opposed to stalled -- jmo

That could be. It wouldn't really matter I suppose. it would probably be unlike a vehicle would actually stall right there.

 

[CARIIS]

JMO
I think I may understand the pictures better now.

Since there are engines on both ends of the train that is what is confusing. The engine that we see near the truck I believe may have been the back of the train.

I think the front of the train had hit the truck and shoved it off to the side of the tracks and a little in front of the crossing area. Then as the train came to a halt the last car of the train was the back of the train which also was another engine attached.

Where we see the truck debri is after the impact and in the direction the train must have been moving. You can see the crossing near there.

I may be wrong but its the only thing that seems to make sense based on the pictures.

but with that scenario and direction of train if it was in the crossing it would have to take out at least the light post?

the one in front pulling has a different paint job so yes our orders of which was in front and back is accurate

the debris field is just strange

 

[FindHG]

[video=youtube;fv8pdEllo6M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv8pdEllo6M[/video]

 

[Hatfield]

[video=youtube;fv8pdEllo6M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv8pdEllo6M[/video]

Thanks for the updated video. At 2:30 there is a simulated video re-enactment of how the debri field ended up like it was.
I think they have it close and it could be right.

The only thing I question is the video shows the truck moving and gates coming down late after the truck clears the gates which didnt make sense to me because I think gates typically come down well before a train gets to the crossing.

I would have guessed the truck had gotten stalled or stuck on the tracks and was going in the other direction with the front-end past the tracks but the large box part on the tracks. Then upon impact it would get thrown in the same spot they had it with most of the damage to the box portion. It would also explain how it would have cleared a downed gate because the debri would have been pushed past the gate area before it went to the side.

Thanks for finding the video though as this helps confirm the direction of the train and how the debri field is confusing. It will be interesting to see if more re-enactments come out that may show it slightly different.

 

[FindHG]

Thanks for the updated video. At 2:30 there is a simulated video re-enactment of how the debri field ended up like it was.
I think they have it close and it could be right.

The only thing I question is the video shows the truck moving and gates coming down late after the truck clears the gates which didnt make sense to me because I think gates typically come down well before a train gets to the crossing.

I would have guessed the truck had gotten stalled or stuck on the tracks and was going in the other direction with the front-end past the tracks but the large box part on the tracks. Then upon impact it would get thrown in the same spot they had it with most of the damage to the box portion. It would also explain how it would have cleared a downed gate because the debri would have been pushed past the gate area before it went to the side.

Thanks for finding the video though as this helps confirm the direction of the train and how the debri field is confusing. It will be interesting to see if more re-enactments come out that may show it slightly different.

Sounds right again, Hatfield. Maybe tried to race the signal and got caught between the gates or maybe a delayed signal somehow? There seem to be two survivors from the truck who may know more about aspects of the timing.

Those who tried saving the one who perished, it was mentioned, honored him in prayer this evening.




CBS Evening News
Jan 31, 18

"A train carrying Republican members of Congress hit a truck Wednesday, leaving several people hurt and one dead outside the train. Some lawmakers rushed to help the victims. CBS News correspondent Julianna Goldman reports."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amtrak...ublican-lawmakers-crozet-virginia-2018-01-30/ same with text
~
[video=youtube;yTXQvHCWBZc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTXQvHCWBZc[/video]
One injured critically still, most of the injured from the truck.
Cong. Lewis has left the hospital and gone on to join the others.
NTSB send team to investigate.

~
~
Totatly Off Topic
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crozet,_Ain

 

[FindHG]

[video=youtube;TN4TBkDQfWg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN4TBkDQfWg[/video]
NBC News
Jan 31 18
(paraphrased)

Kassie Hunt reports from the scene it was eerily familiar for some... and the reality is that these kinds of crashes happen several times a week, but NTSB is sending a team to investigate.

 

[CARIIS]

Thanks for the updated video. At 2:30 there is a simulated video re-enactment of how the debri field ended up like it was.
I think they have it close and it could be right.

The only thing I question is the video shows the truck moving and gates coming down late after the truck clears the gates which didnt make sense to me because I think gates typically come down well before a train gets to the crossing.

I would have guessed the truck had gotten stalled or stuck on the tracks and was going in the other direction with the front-end past the tracks but the large box part on the tracks. Then upon impact it would get thrown in the same spot they had it with most of the damage to the box portion. It would also explain how it would have cleared a downed gate because the debri would have been pushed past the gate area before it went to the side.

Thanks for finding the video though as this helps confirm the direction of the train and how the debri field is confusing. It will be interesting to see if more re-enactments come out that may show it slightly different.

yes this animation is helpful for now !!

there still has to be something off tho

ntsb will tell us tomm

the speeds -- like you said the gates either came down late or the train was going fast to get to the impact point before the gates were down

i thought maybe the truck really gunned it but we can tell it was loaded with stuff so i dont think it could accelerate that fast to make it to where it did not hit the one gate

its a high vehicle which would have to mean the gate was really late in starting its cycle of going down?

if there are skids mark they maybe able to tell how fast the truck was going but then would a garbage truck with two guys standing on the back gun it to try to make through??

there was clear visibility (not a curve according to the initial animation) still have some doubts tho about the animation itself without NTSB narrative

it will be interesting to see how accurate this animation actually is compared to ntsb data

 

[CARIIS]

That would be the case perhaps if the train were on the tracks. But the front engine jumped the track. So the train would come to rapid stop. Additionally, one of the passengers said the train was slowing before impact.

sadly derailing does not always slow em uch
Keep in mind this video below is multiple cars detailing

and in this one the derailment of the lead locomotive was more like a little bump off the track as the train got to very slow speeds .

You can tell by the pic of it it might be listing a little-- I don't even think the rear wheels of the locomotive left the tracks

if it was serious derail they would not have been able to uncouple and take it back brake lines would have been ripped etc

the first car behind the locomotive had to remain on the rails because they just decoupled and left.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJrCza9iSQw

rerailing is extraordinary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwG2OM0XMDI

This is a derailed train!

The wheels just kinda come off a tiny bit in some derailing accidents

the noises in slow derailings are excoriated.

no one even knew the lead was off the track for a long time nor did anyone inside describe anything other than a slam if that makes sense

most of the times . understandably survivors describe a (depending on the type of derailment ) a sensation of knowing it is starting to leave the tracks before the actual derailment sequence begins .

No such sensation was reported nor were there any reports indicating the lead locomotive had totally derailed .

They will learn a lot by speeds.

They do have the equivalent of cockpit voice recorders on them (event recorders)

they will get a ton of prelims pretty fast and they are astoundingly transparent.

No speculation but they will tell us everything they KNOW the instant they know it .

A refreshing notion!!

 

[Gardenista]

Mr. Cassidy said he had been told, but could not officially confirm, that the truck was trying to beat the train to cross the tracks and did not make it. He said people in the area say there are a lot of long, slow-moving coal trains that people become impatient with and try to beat before being stuck. The Amtrak train, however, was apparently traveling at a much faster speed than a cargo train would go.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/feb/1/bill-cassidy-says-the-one-fatality-in-train-accide/

 

[Hatfield]

I think we now know why the arms came down so late. According to a person living near the accident, the gates were not working right.

This could also explain why the truck driver had no idea the train was coming. If gates came down late like the video then he thought it was clear.

"A man who lives near the railroad crossing where a train carrying Republican lawmakers struck a garbage truck says the crossing arms have not been working correctly.

Benny Layne said the truck landed on his property Wednesday after it collided with the Amtrak train near Crozet, Virginia.

Layne told The Associated Press that he has recently seen lines of cars stopped at the crossing, with the crossing arms lowered even though no train was approaching. He said motorists would get out of their cars to help guide other motorists around the malfunctioning arms so they could cross the tracks."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...3391373867e_story.html?utm_term=.865d58b5b949

 

[CARIIS]

I think we now know why the arms came down so late. According to a person living near the accident, the gates were not working right.

This could also explain why the truck driver had no idea the train was coming. If gates came down late like the video then he thought it was clear.

"A man who lives near the railroad crossing where a train carrying Republican lawmakers struck a garbage truck says the crossing arms have not been working correctly.

Benny Layne said the truck landed on his property Wednesday after it collided with the Amtrak train near Crozet, Virginia.

Layne told The Associated Press that he has recently seen lines of cars stopped at the crossing, with the crossing arms lowered even though no train was approaching. He said motorists would get out of their cars to help guide other motorists around the malfunctioning arms so they could cross the tracks."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...3391373867e_story.html?utm_term=.865d58b5b949

ty now were getting somewhere .

Well the folks that operate that section of track are in deep doo doo