Pedestrian hit & killed by #66 (5/2) in Williamsburg VA

[user 13416]

A man walking across the tracks at a grade crossing was hit by NER #66 northwest of the WBG station. Police say the crossing arms were down at the time. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

http://wavy.com/2017/05/02/pedestrian-hit-by-train-in-james-city-county/

 

[Lonestar648]

Very, very sad. Another person who thinks they can save time by beating the train. When will pedestrians and drivers learn that the gates are down for a reason. Prayers for the family and for the Engineer who had to witness helplessly.

 

[CSXfoamer1997]

People need to stop this! Not only does it devastate their friends and family! It also traumatizes the train crew!

 

[lo2e]

Ah, this explains the double service disruption I saw on the status maps last night with both 66 and 95 being stopped and in service disruption. I figured something major must have happened.

Shame for the family and crew.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Very, very sad. Another person who thinks they can save time by beating the train. When will pedestrians and drivers learn that the gates are down for a reason. Prayers for the family and for the Engineer who had to witness helplessly.

They did a study on train related pedestrian deaths in the UK and it turned out that most such incidents were related to suicide rather than whatever was on the other side of the tracks. After reading literally hundreds of stories on train related deaths here in the US I'd say there's a decent chance circumstances are similar here as well. That's not to say people don't try to beat the train, just that most of those who do are in cars and trucks rather than on foot.

 

[LookingGlassTie]

When I took the NER to Washington DC back in January, I was more concerned about the train hitting a pedestrian or motorist as opposed to the train actually derailing.

So sad.............

 

[John Bredin]

Very, very sad. Another person who thinks they can save time by beating the train. When will pedestrians and drivers learn that the gates are down for a reason. Prayers for the family and for the Engineer who had to witness helplessly.

They did a study on train related pedestrian deaths in the UK and it turned out that most such incidents were related to suicide rather than whatever was on the other side of the tracks. After reading literally hundreds of stories on train related deaths here in the US I'd say there's a decent chance circumstances are similar here as well. That's not to say people don't try to beat the train, just that most of those who do are in cars and trucks rather than on foot.

In commuting daily by Metra for years, I've seen places relatively distant from official grade crossings where pedestrians have worn a path to the tracks. I'm pretty sure it wasn't for train-watching, and there aren't that many suicides to wear a path in grass and gravel.

I ran the gates once to catch the train -- got a $250 ticket, won't do it again -- and I assure you I was actually trying to catch a train and not kill myself.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Very, very sad. Another person who thinks they can save time by beating the train. When will pedestrians and drivers learn that the gates are down for a reason. Prayers for the family and for the Engineer who had to witness helplessly.

They did a study on train related pedestrian deaths in the UK and it turned out that most such incidents were related to suicide rather than whatever was on the other side of the tracks. After reading literally hundreds of stories on train related deaths here in the US I'd say there's a decent chance circumstances are similar here as well. That's not to say people don't try to beat the train, just that most of those who do are in cars and trucks rather than on foot.

In commuting daily by Metra for years, I've seen places relatively distant from official grade crossings where pedestrians have worn a path to the tracks. I'm pretty sure it wasn't for train-watching, and there aren't that many suicides to wear a path in grass and gravel. I ran the gates once to catch the train -- got a $250 ticket, won't do it again -- and I assure you I was actually trying to catch a train and not kill myself.

Why would taking a well worn foot path reduce/exclude the possibility of suicide? I've been train spotting at or near crossings and paths of various types as a hobby for many decades. In that time I've seen hundreds of cars try to beat a train at the last possible moment while I can count the number of seriously close calls involving pedestrians on one hand. To me that's a pretty big disparity. Maybe things are different where you live, but I honestly doubt anybody really knows the true cause of most train deaths here in the US. Mainly because we haven't researched, recorded, and compiled an exhaustive report on it like the UK has. Maybe we'd find similar data and maybe we wouldn't.

 

[Lonestar648]

People do not want to comprehend the danger of a railroad crossing. There is a mainline UP crossing near me that always has car sitting on the tracks while waiting for the light to change. There are signs all over saying to not stop on the tracks, to stay behind the white line, but few do. I always stop at the line, which incurs the rather of angry drivers with a cascade of horns being blown. Several times, I witnessed the harrowing scramble as the gates were coming down with several cars on the tracks. The engineer blows his horn as much as he can in this "Quiet " area hoping every car can get out of the way. Fortunately, we have never witnessed a car get hit, but too many times our stomachs have been in our throats in fear for these people.

 

[norfolkwesternhenry]

It's the people who say "nobody cares" when you try to inform them about this stuff, I'd bet they'd care if their parents suddenly perished because they got hit by a train. I bike to school everyday, and people just seem so impatient, while I don't cross any tracks, I ride in a bike lane on a busy street, I'm bretty sure it says "BIKES ONLY" and not "USUALLY FOR BIKES BUT IF YOU'RE TURNING RIGHT ITS OK TO HONK AT THE BIKE IN THEIR LANE AND THEN YELL AT THEM TO SCRAM AND THAT YOU'RE IN A BIG HURRY" I think this is why people do all this stupid stuff, tracks are for trains and the occasional hi-rail truck, NOT for your parking pleasure.

 

[Eric S]

It's the people who say "nobody cares" when you try to inform them about this stuff, I'd bet they'd care if their parents suddenly perished because they got hit by a train. I bike to school everyday, and people just seem so impatient, while I don't cross any tracks, I ride in a bike lane on a busy street, I'm bretty sure it says "BIKES ONLY" and not "USUALLY FOR BIKES BUT IF YOU'RE TURNING RIGHT ITS OK TO HONK AT THE BIKE IN THEIR LANE AND THEN YELL AT THEM TO SCRAM AND THAT YOU'RE IN A BIG HURRY" I think this is why people do all this stupid stuff, tracks are for trains and the occasional hi-rail truck, NOT for your parking pleasure.

Can't say I'm surprised, unfortunately. The sense of entitlement among far too many motorists is extreme. Witness the reaction to any proposal to reallocate street space, to emphasize street safety, to reduce parking socialism, etc.