With 716 large and small U.S. railroads reporting, total accidents and incidents in this year's first nine months were down 10.3 percent to 9,232 compared with the corresponding period last year, according to the Federal Railroad Administration's Office of Safety Analysis.
Fatalities were up fractionally in this year's January-September period, to 637 from 633. Most of these fatalities involved highway-rail grade-crossing accidents and trespassers.
Train accidents so far this year declined 9.5 percent to 1,828.
(The preceding appeared on the Web site railwayage.com on December 1, 2008.)
LOS ANGELES -- A Metrolink commuter train slammed into a vehicle on the tracks near a crossing in Riverside on Monday night, but the female driver and her passenger got out safely before the crash, authorities said.
Steven Frasher, a spokesman for the Riverside Police Department, said the 21-year-old woman made a left turn onto the railroad tracks at Jurupa Avenue, mistaking them for a street. When she realized her mistake, she got out of the car and got clear of the tracks as the Metrolink 412 train approached about 7:45 p.m.
There were 40 passengers on the train, which had left Union Station in downtown Los Angeles at 6:35 p.m. heading to Riverside, Metrolink spokesman Francisco Oaxaca said. He said there were no injuries reported on the train.
Passengers on the train, which was only 10 minutes from its final stop, heard the crunch of metal and felt a slight bump.
The train stayed on the track and came to a rapid but relatively smooth stop.
Passengers were kept on the train for about two hours until police could complete their investigation and the tracks could be cleared and inspected.
(The preceding article by Phil Willon was published December 2, 2008, by The Los Angeles Times.)
Pal, you're dismissed for disloyalty. Tony and Dave don't even joke around about this kind of shit. You're on report and this one's gonna go on your permanent record book.
