(Los Angeles) Metrolink cars crash into freight train; 2 dead, more expected

[bigworld]

Source: LA Times

A Metrolink train and a freight train collided in Chatsworth today, causing several cars to derail and starting a blaze.

Sheriff's officials say at least 23 people have been injured, 10 critically. The injured were being routed to several hospitals. Northridge Hospital Medical Center officials said some of the injured were headed there.

In the initial response, firefighters were making their way through a derailed passenger train looking for victims. TV footage showed firefighters pulling injured passengers and debris out of an overturned car.

Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Armando Hogan told KABC-TV Channel 7 that more than 100 firefighters were taking part in the rescue.

Denise Tyrell, a spokeswoman for Metrolink, said it remains unclear what caused the collision.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-traincrash13-2008sep13,0,2874450.story

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[bigworld]

1. More from the AP: a lot of injuries

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A Metrolink commuter train collided with a freight train Friday, toppling one of the passenger cars onto its side.

Firefighters battled a fire under part of the wreckage and pulled people from the Metrolink car, which was partly torn open.

"I'm sure there are injuries. I'm sure there are a lot of injuries," said Ron Haralson, an inspector with the Los Angles County Fire Department.

He said the trains collided at 4:32 p.m. in the Chatsworth area of the San Fernando Valley.

[ronnykmarshall]

2. I'm watching it on TV.

The lead Metrolink car is on it's side and it looks like a can opened peeled open the side.

Looks really bad. There was a fire but it's out now. There are taking people out of the Metrolink now. There was one guy that looked like he was burned pretty bad.

God this is awful.

[K8-EEE]

3. Will everybody think good thoughts for my friend Woody?

We are trying to figure out if he could be on that train....that's the train he takes home every day and Friday sometimes he leaves early. My husband is at work looking for him right now. Shit.

Thoughts and prayers to everybody on the train and I hope Woody stayed late this Friday!!

[ronnykmarshall]

5. Please keep up updated.

[sarcasmo]

4. Gas prices rise a quarter.

[kestrel91316]

6. Two dead, 10 critically injured. Just a few miles north of me in Chatsworth.

I just heard it on the local NPR station.

[K8-EEE]

7. shit shit shit shit shit

I know 2 people that I can't get ahold of that could be on that train

:cry:

I hope they just went somewhere after work!!!!!!!!

[K8-EEE]

9. I FOUND THEM!

Whew!!!! One took his car today and the other did not leave early as is his custom.....I'm so relieved but sad for everyone who was on it. WTF is going on, how can 2 trains hit each other, I can picture train/car but this is the first train/train accident I can remember!

[ronnykmarshall]

10. Oh thank god!!!

Thank you for letting us know.

[K8-EEE]

50. Thanks RonnyK! And thanks Disney TV Animation

For loading my pal up with so many changes mid-afternoon that he couldn't work through lunch & leave early like he did last Friday -- Fridays he is usually on that train, YIKES!!!

[Jazzgirl]

15. K8-EEE, the reasons could be many.

It could be a dispatcher failed to line a switch a certain way or a crew failed to pay attention to a signal. All it takes is a second not to notice a signal flip a switch wrong and it can cause a devastating loss. Glad you found your friends. I work for the UP's biggest competitor and when I saw there was a crash I wondered if it was us or the UP. I really hate to hear about any loss of life on a railroad though. Very difficult and my thoughts and prayers go out to the families.

[MadMaddie]

83. I just watched a show called something like Mega Disasters or

and all of the train wrecks they highlighted were caused by human error.

[maddezmom]

8. very sad

:(

[Duer 157099]

11. Cripes! I used to live just blocks from there!

I bet the traffic on the 118 is, uh, pretty bad today.

[Duer 157099]

12. Link to live video

Shit, this is giving me the creeps

mms://a1386.l1913847831.c19138.g.lm.akamaistream.net/D/1386/19138/v000/reflector:49639","KTLA%20Live%20Video","Newstream","video.ktla.com"

[kestrel91316]

13. 300-400 passengers were on the train. It's a Metrolink commuter

that a lot of people take to work downtown who live in Moorpark/Simi Valley. Firefighters are evacuating people from the overturned cars, lots of fuel spilled, fires raging.

I will try to have a peek at the tv coverage when i get home. Heading out to the store now.

[Duer 157099]

14. 4 reported dead

they hit head on, it's just a little north of where the tracks converge, somebody dropped the ball on this one

frikken A...

[Jazzgirl]

16. Sounds like either the crew missed a signal

or a switched was incorrectly lined. I bet on somebody missed a signal. Definitely somebody dropped the ball and you bet there will be a major investigation. Bet the dispatcher is already out of service pending investigation.

[ronnykmarshall]

19. Now they are reporting 6.

:cry:

[Duer 157099]

22. LA Times saying 7 now...

http://www.latimes.com/

[kestrel91316]

21. Freight train came out of the tunnel and hit the Metrolink head on.

75-100 injured being triaged on lawn near wreck. Worst injuries going to Northridge or Holy Cross. Less serious are going to Simi and presumably some coming down here to my neighborhood to Tarzana Medical Center.

I have been hearing sirens and sirens and sirens this afternoon, and seeing lots of emergency vehicles this afternoon, all apparently headed to the site.

[Duer 157099]

25. Yeah, I heard some guy earlier saying

that since the freight train had been on the single track for a good long time, that the Metrolink would have had a red signal just before the tracks converged, so the Metrolink engineer is apparently the one who didn't see the signal, assuming there even *was* a signal

WTF??? This is how it works??? A little red light????

[calimary]

68. We were picking up some take-out food on Sepulveda Blvd near Westwood and just

in the time we were there (early yesterday evening), there were something like seven or eight paramedic trucks with sirens screaming that were racing north on Sepulveda. They just kept coming and coming. The freeway was its usual Friday evening commuter nightmare so Sepulveda was the only way out to the Valley - and even it can be pretty screwed. Unless you have an emergency vehicle with horns and a shrieking siren, that is.

Just awful. So many dead - and so many grave injuries. K8-EEE, I'm glad to hear your news was good, though. Thank God! That's a relief! Lotsa hurt today in So Cal. As of 1pm Saturday - 23 confirmed dead. AWFUL.

[Duer 157099]

17. Now reporting a 2nd Metrolink train accident, in Corona

car vs. train, just about an hour ago

[Duer 157099]

18. Link to google map of location

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=34.271723,-118.60062&spn=0.00649,0.011759&z=17&msid=117631292961056724014.000456bbc3e7379bd6bb3

[Duer 157099]

20. Sounds like they're taking some of the not-critical people to

Chatsworth Academy, on Rinaldi, between Variel and Independence (at least I think that's Chatsworth Academy, pretty sure)

Sounds like the family members don't know where that is

Hmmm, looks like the Academy is actually right next to where the train wreck is -- the one down the street might be something else...

[kestrel91316]

23. I can't imagine that the crew in the engine survived.

450 passengers were on the train per KTLA.

This happened adjacent to a residential neighborhood. Very fortunate that homes were not involved.

Helicopters transporting critical injuries to Holy Cross or Northridge hospital.

Apparently a lot of people are STILL trapped on the train........

This train left Union Station at 3:35 PM.

On edit: SEVEN CARS OVERTURNED!

[ronnykmarshall]

26. The engine was smashed in to the first car.

When I saw it on TV right after it happened, I thought that the Metro train was being pushed and not pulled. But it seems that it was pulled.

This is just so sad.

We just had to deal with the trial of that asshole that put his car on the tracks in Glendale and killed so many on that train .... now this!

[Duer 157099]

27. Check out this quote from a passenger:

"Within an instant I was in my friend's lap. It was so quick. It was devastating," he said. The man was visibly injured, but able to walk with the aid of firefighters. The man said he was involved in a devastating 2005 Metrolink crash in Glendale and was talking about it with the other passenger when Friday's crash occurred."

I guess he's going to be superstitious after this

[ronnykmarshall]

28. Man this is awful.

I had just got home and Ch 7 started reported it ... within minutes the LAFD was there putting out the fire.

God bless our fire fighters and police.

[Duer 157099]

24. pics

[Duer 157099]

29. Gosh, I'm thinking the death toll is going to go much higher

I still can't quite envision what happened, but something about the engine of the freight train being trapped underneath one of the metrolink cars, which was cut in half???

[Duer 157099]

30. Ok, now 10 confirmed n/t

[ronnykmarshall]

31. AP is reporting 20.

Our Mayor said that there might be close to 12.

[kestrel91316]

32. Fire dept spokesperson estimated 20. They must have bodies in

that first car, or pieces.

[Duer 157099]

36. Yeah, I'd think it'd be low priority at this stage in the game to be

removing bodies when there are, apparently, still injured trapped.

[kestrel91316]

33. Conductor "Bob" is reportedly alive with two broken legs.

Engineer reportedly deceased.

[Duer 157099]

34. They left the life feed camera on

This is interesting, the reporters finally shut up and took off apparently - but the camera propped next to the scene is still feeding the stream, with no (finally!) commentary:

mms://a1386.l1913847831.c19138.g.lm.akamaistream.net/D/1386/19138/v000/reflector:49639","KTLA%20Live%20Video","Newstream","video.ktla.com"

[kestrel91316]

35. UCLA Medical Center is calling for blood donors. All the trauma cases

have apparently depleted their supplies.

1 1/2 hours since any survivors pulled out. Place is still crawling with firefighters.

[Duer 157099]

37. Earlier they said that surgeons were inside the train working n/t

[kestrel91316]

38. Families/friends should report to CHATSWORTH HIGH SCHOOL

to meet up with uninjured passengers.

There may have been over 150 passengers per car. I have not heard exactly how many cars there were.

40-50 private ambulances have been seen in the area minutes ago. Coming? Going? Reports not clear.

Lots of equipment coming in for heavy duty rescue/recovery effort. Including portapotties.

[Duer 157099]

39. I finally can see what happened - the whole front of the Metrolink

car is completely missing, like half of that train is occupied by the freight train engine car.

Was the Metrolink engineer in the front car, or the back? I've only been on the Amtrak, not sure how the Metrolink ones are.

If it was the engineer then less passengers

[kestrel91316]

41. Metrolink engine was pulling. The engine got shoved completely

into the first passenger car and tore it apart.

[Duer 157099]

42. So that black train is the Metrolink engine car?

or is it so deep into the passenger car that it's not visible?

Jeez, this is horrific.

I'm having post PTSD! This was my neighborhood during the 94 quake -- it's bringing back all sorts of memories...

[Mnemosyne]

43. Just don't forget to breathe.

Breathing helps. And a break from this wouldn't hurt either. Please take good care.

:hug:

Horrible tragedy, just horrible.

My thoughts are with all affected by this sorrow.

[kestrel91316]

44. I'm still here, been here since 1983, Northridge didn't scare me off, lol!

I'm in Tarzana/Woodland Hills. We got shook BUT good. I still have PTSD, and get that panic thing whenever we have shakers now (didn't used to).

I can't tell what is what from looking. I am relying on official descriptions by fire dept, mayor, and reporters on the scene. It's just a jumbled mess to me.

[Duer 157099]

46. Heh, yeah, you know what I mean though about that day

this is like watching the rescue crews at those collapsed apartment buildings near CSUN - that's what I feel like I'm watching, it's surreal.

There's a bridal path along Rinaldi, right where this train is - used to ride along there all the time, seems so long ago, so far away

[kestrel91316]

49. I used to rock climb right there ar Stony Point many years ago.

[Duer 157099]

52. Oh, so you're one of those crazy people I used to watch

I never did *get* the rockclimbing thing, just never even felt tempted to try.

But Stoney Point is awesome.

[kestrel91316]

54. I never did rock climbing for it's own sake. It was part of the old

Sierra Club's basic mountaineering training course, but I just used the techniques for what modest amount of technical climbing I did in the Sierras.

I tried to climb the "S Crack" there and couldn't make the very last crux move at the top, so I down-climbed it, which everyone said was impossible, lol.

[RexDart]

58. Telescopes are the worst..

This will be bad news the whole way.

[calimary]

70. Welcome to DU.

This is another way in which DU excels. We're so broad-based that there's bound to be at least one of us near scenes like this, who can be our eyes and ears, and provide background and local insight. And sometimes it comes during very bad times.

[kestrel91316]

40. ABC local news just showed video clip of a firefighter who was working

on the first passenger car who was apparently overcome with emotion and collapsed. Very sad.

[kestrel91316]

45. Per Sheriff Baca: 125 deputies on scene helping LA City.

There was a deputy sheriff on the train who was uninjured and he called in the cavalry directly, which brought much more help quicker than it would have otherwise.

[Duer 157099]

47. Now "at least 15 dead" n/t

[Cal Carpenter]

48. Between this and the hurricane coverage

I think its best for me to pour a drink and go to bed. What a sad day. :(

[calimary]

71. Welcome to DU.

Yeah. Truly a sad day. Glad to have your company, though.

[kestrel91316]

51. Current estimates: 20 dead, 100 injured; one LAPD officer among the dead.

[Duer 157099]

53. Simi Valley = LAPD bedroom community

at least that's what we learned from the whole Rodney King thing.

So sad, these folks are being good citizens by using mass transit and look what happens.

[Duer 157099]

55. This is bizarre.. report says train had 222 passengers

It was train 111 with 222 passengers...

[Duer 157099]

56. You know what I just realized?

If you look at the Google satellite image of the area, you see that very soon the train tracks disappear into a mountain - enters in Chatsworth, and emerges in Simi Valley -- quite a long distance.

Just 5-10 minutes more and they could have met inside that tunnel. Can you imagine the rescue situation then???? Yikes.

[kestrel91316]

59. The trains would have burned up in the tunnel and there would have been

few if any survivors, that's what would have happened.

[kestrel91316]

57. 213-847-2117, 213-847-2118 - numbers to call if you are looking for

a family member who was on the train.

[qanda]

60. I know Ike is the big story tonight but this is just terrible

My heart goes out to all the victims and their families.

[dipsydoodle]

61. BBC NEWS with video of scene of accident

Deadly train crash in Los Angeles :

At least 10 people have died and some 100 have been hurt in a head-on collision between a passenger train and a freight train near Los Angeles.

The crash derailed both trains and forced the engine of the passenger train back into one of its coaches.

Fire-fighters put out a blaze under one of the carriages and have been cutting through metal to rescue trapped people.

The exact cause of the crash - believed to be one of the worst in Los Angeles' history - is not yet known.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7613705.stm

[kestrel91316]

62. Casualties update: 18 confirmed dead, 135 injured.

Sigh.

[Duer 157099]

63. I heard one report saying >50 people still unaccounted for

I wish they'd put the live feed back up, I want to see what's happening now. If anyone finds a working link, please post.

[kestrel91316]

65. If you have cable internet (high-speed) you might be able to find

a news feed from one of the local stations, KTLA or channel 9 rather than abc or nbc or cbs.......

[Duer 157099]

72. Still haven't been able to find a live feed

It's amazing how quickly we adapt to technology - I was glued to my computer until past midnight watching that feed, and now I feel so disconnected, which of course I am. During the big So. Cal fires a year or so ago, I was also watching the live feeds from the helicopters. I'm so glad I live in the age of the Internet.

I was watching it live last night when they pulled the police officer from the wreckage, and it was so sad and somber, watching the firefighters and rescue workers and police officers there, respecting their fallen coworker. I like watching heroes at work, restores my faith in this crazy species.

[kestrel91316]

73. It's not breaking news anymore, so it's not live anywhere. When the

evening news comes on today they will be reporting live from the scene.

If you're in the area you could make your way over there on foot I suppose........major surface streets in the area are closed to cars.

[Duer 157099]

74. Found one!

http://mfile.akamai.com/12924/live/reflector:30763.asx

They just pulled the train upright

[kestrel91316]

75. Wow, how did you find that? Whose camera is it?

I don't see the train, just a lawn and some people, maybe at the school that's the base of operations?

[Duer 157099]

77. yeah, right after I posted the link, they changed the view!

They had been showing the crane righting the train, and I imagine that maybe there was some, uh, ... things being seen that might have been,...

now they're kicking them all out! shoot

[Duer 157099]

78. shhhhhh, be vewy vewy quiet...

don't you feel like, if we're really quiet that maybe they won't notice us and they'll let us stay?

[Duer 157099]

80. Ah, now the scene is back

I was about to call that number on the screen (did you see it? looked like the phone number for the news van crew, lol)

"Hello? Can you fix your video feed please?"

[Duer 157099]

64. This shows how the engine car telescoped into the passenger car

unfrikken real

[Tektonik]

66. My mom lives in Chatsworth

I could walk to the accident scene from my mom's townhouse. My mom has been telling me about how many helicopters there were yesterday and how now one cannot go up certain major streets past Devonshire.

As someone who rides the Amtrak through the Valley a lot, I always thought it weird that they didn't have enough tracks so that two trains could run at the same time. So many times Amtrak trains are delayed and have to sidetrack due to passing Metrolinks or freight trains.

[countryjake]

67. They've just confirmed that it seems as tho MetroLink failed to heed signal...

Arnie was just on giving a statement and the commentator said the engineer didn't stop at the red light.

18 dead

So sad.

[kestrel91316]

69. Breaking news: LA County Sheriff reporting 23 confirmed dead

Metrolink passenger train engineer reportedly ignored red signal, was supposed to pull aside at Chatsworth station and wait for freight train to pass.

Edit: a few miniutes later and now it's at 24 dead.

[nolabels]

76. Bad idea putting fast passenger trains on the same track

They had a hard time getting people to ride them lines already. This won't help especially considering it's all of the train operators mistakes

[Duer 157099]

79. Oh.Shit.: REPORTS SAYING METROLINK ENGINEER WAS TEXTING BEFORE CRASH

(sorry about the caps, copy/paste)

http://www.knx1070.com/

CHATSWORTH -- According to preliminary reports, the Metrolink engineer may have been text messaging from the cab of the train moments before the devastating crash.

The engineer supposedly sent a text message to a friend at 4:22 p.m. The crash happened just one minute later, at 4:23 p.m.

[Duer 157099]

81. a little more info

But one minute before the deadliest crash in Metrolink history, one teen -- Nick Williams -- said he received a text message on his cell phone from the engineer, whom the teens identified as Robert Sanchez.

Williams' received text was brief, "Just two lines", reported KCAL 9 and CBS 2 reporter Kristine Lazar, exclusively.

The text told Williams and his friends where Sanchez would be meeting another passenger train.

The teens posted a tribute to their friend on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IZz0FkaiGg

[Duer 157099]

82. List of victims, RIP

Those who died in the crash include : Los Angeles Police officer Spree DeSha, 35, of Simi Valley; Donna Ramata, 49, of Simi Valley; Ernest Kish, 47, of Thousand Oaks; Alan Buckley, 59, of Moorpark; Howard Pompel, 69, of Moorpark; Manuel Macias, 31, of Santa Paula; Walt Fuller of Simi Valley, an air traffic controller at the Burbank Airport; Paul Long, 56, of Moorpark; Jacob Hefter, 18, of Palmdale; Maria Elena Villalobos, 18, of Moorpark, Christopher Aiken, 38; Kari Hsieh; Dennis Arnold, 75; Charles Peck, 58; Yi Chao, 71; Adia Magdeleno, 19; Howard Pompel, 69; Dean Brower, 51; Gregory Lintner, 48; Michael Hammersly, 45; and Doyle Souser, 56.

Three men and one woman have not yet been named. Only one of the men has not been identified, the others are pending family notification.

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/sep/13/metrolink-takes-responsibility-crash-killed-least-/

[MadMaddie]

84. My thoughts go to the families to all involved.

I hate to bring politics into this but this is Infrastructure and this is important. A lot of Railroads, bridges and even highways need to be redesigned to avoid these kind of catastrophes.

[Duer 157099]

85. I certainly agree about needing infrastructure maintenance

But I think this particular case might be simply a tragic case of human error. No doubt that an upgrade to more sophisticated systems would help, but one thing we know for sure, and that is that there can always be human error.

So sad for all of the families/friends involved.

[MadMaddie]

86. Heard this morning that the Engineer of the passenger train

may have been text messaging at the time of the crash..sigh...

[Blue_Tires]

87. ugh...if that is true that makes it all the more foolishly tragic...

like that ferry crash in new york