Silver Star pedestrian accident May 2016

[LDCarr]

My wife and I took a round-trip from Rocky Mount, NC to Miami and back recently to vacation in the Florida Keys. On the return trip on May 7, our train, Amtrak 92, struck and killed a bicyclist at a crossing in Green Springs Cove, Fl (between Palatka and Jacksonville). The only information that I have found to date on the incident is very brief information that was provided by the Jacksonville newspaper and TV the following day basically stating that the event occurred and was still being investigated. No information has been stated about the victim. We can't help but wonder about the person. Is it unusual for something like this to happen and seemingly no information is made public?

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

I would think that so many of these are happening lately, that the press has very little incentive to do any follow-up reporting. They do the initial report, and then move onto something else. Basically, yet another foolish person walk/drove in front of a moving train, and was killed, now onto the weather.

 

[pennyk]

I did find this when researching, but also learned that it was not the only incident regarding bicyclist in the area.

 

[FormerOBS]

A bicycle is not particularly common; but sadly, trains striking pedestrians or vehicles is an everyday occurrence.

Many years ago my train was going south through North Carolina late in the evening, when we felt the emergency brake take hold. When we finally came to a stop, our crew dormitory car was positioned right on the grade crossing where the incident occurred. Some of us crew members detrained to see if we could help the victim. He had just left the local watering hole and was innocently crossing the tracks when our nasty ol' train came along and jumped out and bit him. He wasn't in a mental state to give a very clear explanation of how it all happened, but I think he was only grazed and not seriously injured. Last I saw, he was loaded into an ambulance for medical treatment. His bike looked like a steel wad of spaghetti.

If this kind of thing would hit the front page, maybe it would push Mr.Trump off of it. Wouldn't that be a blessing?

Tom

 

[LDCarr]

The bicycle went under the train because we heard it under us and it disconnected some of the hoses/lines between cars. We were in the 3rd car behind the locomotive. I assume the individual was bounced off the front of the train because he/she was back at the crossing. While we were stopped it was clear there was a party going on not more than 50 yards from the track. Later, the engineer commented to an SCA that the individual never looked up. Seems amazing that someone can be on the tracks and not be aware of lights and horn. It was the proverbial "never new what hit him".

 

[FormerOBS]

If the individual never looked up, and showed no awareness of the lights or horn, I'm tempted to guess that he was wearing "killer ear buds", which should be illegal for drivers of automobiles, bicycles, and all other vehicles, IMO.

Of course, that's just a guess, but it's based on my knowledge of past incidents.

Tom

 

[Devil's Advocate]

If the individual never looked up, and showed no awareness of the lights or horn, I'm tempted to guess that he was wearing "killer ear buds", which should be illegal for drivers of automobiles, bicycles, and all other vehicles, IMO.

Could also be suicide or drunken behavior. It generally is illegal to use earbuds or headphones while driving and I would imagine it's the same for bicycles on public roads.