As sent to me. A photo of indeterminate origin showing a nearly scratchless "C&O 8016" and a well-mangled Jeep Cherokee was attached to the e-mail; I can't attach that here....:

Every crewmember's nightmare, particularly with kids in the vehicles. Thank God the little people are OK and the driver isn't too badly hurt.

Hopefully the police will throw the book at the driver.

Now, a question aimed at other operations and something to think about.

What kind of program do you have (if any) that will help volunteers or employees deal with the emotional trauma of a "near miss" such as this, or worse? Is there an "EAP" program provider who doesn't charge ridiculous fees?

Steve Hunter
Cardinal, Ontario

Link

http://times-news.com/local/x154639317/ ... Moorefield

This is EXACTLY why the West Virginia Operation Lifesaver exists.

So glad to hear nobody was killed.

The train wins every time.

That photo is going right on my Facebook page. Getting hit by a 1949 F3A in 2010 isn't something you can easily accomplish but this woman managed it.

From the railroad's web page:

Chesapeake & Ohio F3Au #8016, originally Clinchfield 800 and later CSX Transportation 116. Built in February 1949

Steve

The media is not capable of describing a grade crossing accident in a way which does not make it sound like the train's fault.

SUICIDAL WOMAN ATTACKS TRAIN
.....HOMELAND SECURITY TO INVESTIGATE.....

News at nine...

At the very least, they should take her license away from her permanently. I think maybe a few months in the county lockup for endangering the welfare of a child would send the point home. Let her use the insurance money for the car to pay for public transportation. It is evident this woman can not be trusted with a deadly weapon like a 4,000# Jeep! Thank goodness the kids were OK. OK but traumatized!

Later!
Mr. Ed

True, but even the best-run OLS programs can't reach everyone, and some folks (like this boneheaded Darwin Award wannabe) are too stupid to listen anyway.

One has to wonder if a cell phone was involved in this....and not by the engineer.

They have cell phone reception in West Virginia?

With 4 children in the SUV, who needs a cell phone to be distracted?

I had a similar incident in a locomotive cab when I was about 19, slow speed collision, car damaged a lot (glass), woman and three kids. She lived right on the other side of the crossing and was perfectly aware, just didn't see it coming and apparently didn't hear it either.

For a 5mph collision, it sure did a number on the car, and me, because the knuckle went right over top of the hood -a half a second later and it would have penetrated the passenger compartment and hit the kid in the passenger side in the head.

It was a non-event, long term, except that was the exact day I later decided not to go into operations as a career. Being at the control stand sliding down the rails in emergency with the air horn tied down - even at 5mph, yeah, that's one you don't forget when kids start screaming. The only 'good part' was the news report was 'woman fails to see oncoming train'.....but that was in 1975 when people still weren't all victims.

And we're pretty passionate about Operation Lifesaver in here, too, because everybody that's worked for a railroad has had at least one career auto collision, some fatal, but none easily forgotten.