Metro-North To Cars: Get Out Of Our Way, Or Pay

On Sunday, a car and Metro-North train collided in Milford, Connecticut, injuring a woman and her seven-year-old daughter. There are still conflicting reports about who is to blame for the accident, but today, Metro-North made it abundantly clear who they believe is responsible: "The train was where it was supposed to be, and the car was not. The car caused damage to our train," said Metro-North Spokeswoman Marjorie Anders.

The car was struck by a train on a grade crossing on a small residential street around 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon—the private crossing in question does not have flashing lights or gates, and it is federally-mandated that trains blow a horn at all railroad grade-level crossings. Metro-North says that 40-year-old mother Vicki Buker-Besse did not use caution when she approached the tracks. They also found in their preliminary report that a horn had sounded upon approach. It hasn't yet been determined exactly how much Metro-North will be seeking.

But the family, who had been having a picnic on a nearby hill at the time, disagrees with their account. They said that they did not hear a horn before the crash, and that they have complained about the horn not sounding at the crossing in the past. According to grandmother Peggi Buker, they were lucky to have escaped alive: "My daughter and granddaughter were in that car, they were hurt, Emily managed to undo her seat belt her mom was unconscious and the 7 year old ran for help saying call 911 we got hit by a train. she saved her mom by reacting quickly for a scared little girl. PLEASE DOn't PLAY DOWN THE SEVERITY OF THIS. THE TRAIN DID NOT BLOW THEIR HORN. THE CAR WAS ON ITS ROOF AND MY GRANDDAUGHTER BY THE GRACE OF GOD CRAWLED OUT OF THAT CAR."

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By Ben Yakas in News on June 1, 2011 3:33 PM

Comments [rss]

luke_1

You can not only hear but FEEL a train coming, especially if it isn't planning on stopping.

Dwayne Hoover

If you can't notice a train coming down the track, you should have your license revoked. Idiot driver.

jaycjay

Especially on a hot day, with A/C on and windows closed and maybe music playing, it can be hard to hear a train. Fortunately, it's really easy to see them, because they are so fricking BIG!

That's why even if you don't stop, you at least both look and listen.

Unkle_Bob

Plus, if you're used to hearing a sound (as she apparently is used to hearing train horns) your mind will often filter them out. That's how you can sleep in the city even with sirens blaring at 3am.

diablofreak

when i drive in ridgewood, near the ghetto section of grand ave and metropolitan ave, everytime i approach the at grade crossings for the abandoned railroad, esp. at nights, i still look both ways and slow the f down. you can't expect a train to stop on a dime like cars, and you can't expect train tracks to not have trains. even if you know it's abandoned and unused, not to mention here it's an active one.

she's lucky she didn't get the darwin award here.

zombie_cakes

No sympathy, look before you cross the railroad tracks no matter fucking what. Stupid woman is lucky she didn't kill her child and herself. And is this THEIR private grade crossing? Spring a few bucks then and at least have simple cross bucks (just the RR crossing part of the sign) put up so you remember "oh right, large heavy trains travel at high speeds here".

Stevennnn

She most likely just went right through the crossing without stopping and looking. The Waterbury branch has headways every 3-4 hours. Really amazing how she was caught at the wrong time.

Guest

the woman was familiar with the RR crossing and it seems rather implausible to just overlook a noisy hulking goliath of steel coming at you. i wonder if alcohol or cell phone use is a factor in this completely avoidable collision.

Guest

Isn't there a law where you have to come to a complete stop at all RR crossings? School buses do it.

zombie_cakes

Only buses (school, mass transit, private) I believe, not automobiles.

Dan

I always slow down and look at ALL crossings. Some municipalities have outlawed trains blowing their horns for crossings (even though it is federal law).

The cab of the train also has video and telemetry recording devices, so don't try to lie about if they blew a horn or not.

NY's handbook says "Look and listen for trains before crossing any railroad tracks. If an approaching train is near enough or going fast enough to be a danger, you may not cross the tracks, even if there are no signals or the signals are not working."

PFOOMA

First, I'm glad everyone is ok.
Second, I think all RR crossings should have at least lights.
Third, Yeild does not mean "listen for horn and hope for the best"
Especially with your child in the car?!?