A collision between two light rail commuter trains in San Francisco has left nearly 50 people injured in what is the third major rail accident in the United States in recent months.
The light rail crash occurred on Saturday at about 3 p.m. when one San Francisco Municipal Railway train rear-ended another train at West Portal Station. At least 47 people were injured, including the driver. Some of the injuries were serious, but San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency officials said none appeared to be life threatening.
According to media reports, investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating whether the driver inappropriately switched the train from automatic to manual control just before the accident. The investigation is ongoing, and the driver is still recovering in San Francisco General Hospital.
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Learn MoreStandard procedure for the San Francisco Municipal Railway is to keep the train on automatic when entering a station, so that the automatic break system can react if there is another train in close proximity.
The San Francisco light rail accident is at least the third major incident involving commuter trains since May.
On June 22, nine people were killed, including the driver, and 80 others injured in a Washington, D.C. Metro accident that occurred when a subway train on the Red Line rear-ended another train outside of the Fort Totten Station. Investigators are looking at a possible track malfunction or maintenance error in that case and several DC Metro accident lawsuits have already been filed on behalf of crash victims.
On May 8, a Boston trolly accident resulted in injuries for 62 passengers when one train rear-ended another. Aiden Quinn, one of the trolly operators, is being arraigned today for sending text messages at the time of the accident.
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RayJuly 20, 2009 at 8:08 pm
I was hit by a Light Rail Train that ran a red light in Denver. RTD calls the light rail train ART (Automated Rapid Transit) When the light rail train strikes, kills or injures the train has never been faulted because the traffic lights are determined to be working properly and RTD calls the light rail ART. In Denver the Light Rail Train is politically corrupt in design and operation. The train tr[Show More]I was hit by a Light Rail Train that ran a red light in Denver. RTD calls the light rail train ART (Automated Rapid Transit) When the light rail train strikes, kills or injures the train has never been faulted because the traffic lights are determined to be working properly and RTD calls the light rail ART. In Denver the Light Rail Train is politically corrupt in design and operation. The train travels the wrong way on One Way Streets with no crossing gates, inadequate warning signs or signals and runs red lights. I have 3,500 photographs of the Light Rail Train running red lights. I took the photographs to try and convince RTD management and Board of Directors to pay my medical bills. I had the police called on me for trying to show my photographs by Mr. Mack who investigated my accident and wrote in his report: "he bumped his head and will get it looked at" and did not report the accident to the feds as required by law. I was hospitalized in intensive care and it is a fact that DGH saved my life but the cruel comment written by Mr. Mack "he bumped his head and will get it looked at" is a clue to the conspiracy that existed between the corrupt public servants Mr. Mack, the city attorney and corrupt commander of District 6 Police Mr. Lamb getting my head looked at meant I would be subjected to psychiatric abuse. In many countries there are corrupt politicians and public servants serving prison terms for accepting bribes from Siemens the manufacturer of the trains. The corrupt police commander, Mr. Lamb has a law degree and knows how to use the six months statute of limitations to file a complaint against the government, to stalk, harass, interfere in every aspect of the victim's life.