Posted on 08/28/2009 8:37:27 AM PDT by Federalist Patriot
Here is shocking video from a camera on the front of an Amtrak train in Michigan that collided with a car carrying five teenagers on July 9. The car reportedly went around warning barriers and drove right into the path of the train. All five passengers were killed.
The video shows the collision. You can see the car dart right into the path of the train, and then you can hear the train's brakes stopping the train. You cannot see the car stuck to the front of the train in the video, but at the 2:25 mark of the video, you see a train conductor walk in front of the train to see the tragic consequences.
What a shocking warning to everyone NOT to go around railroad crossing barriers to try and beat a train. . . . . (Watch Video)
(Excerpt) Read more at freedomslighthouse.com ...
another stupid accident.
I feel bad for the conductor.
>he car reportedly went around warning barriers and drove right into the path of the train.
Then their deaths are their own damn fault.
What a non-story.
Same here.
ping
I can beat a train.
Stupid little train ain’t NOTHIN.
I’m TOUGH.
wow, it took that train a while just to come to a stop, more loved ones without a sister, or brother or son or daughter, what a shame. :-(
Wow. Yes it is, but it’s still sad. Teenagers can be stupid, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t people.
That said, with improved systems, it is very hard to go around arms usually now days. You almost have to drive in the wrong lane in many places!
Then their deaths are their own damn fault.
Only the driver is responsible. Passengers don't get to vote on the drivers stupidity.
Sometimes. Though in this case the driver would have to slow down to weave around the barricades. And, quite probably, they did stop BEFORE bypassing the safeties... enough time for someone to smack the driver in the back of the head and knock some sense into them. (figuratively speaking)
Just saw it on Fox-very disturbing.Those kids didn’t have a chance of beating that train.My condolances to the family members.
A critical “teaching moment” here is for our young children to see this and think about riding in a car with “friends” or “older friends” with no sense and too much bravado.
Some of the passengers in that car may have been protesting the move to the end.
Very sad.
Really? In my view, unless the passengers had their own override steering wheels and brake pedals, I don't see how their deaths were their fault at all. Blame the driver, a young kid who didn't have wisdom and experience, but don't ascribe blame to all of them.
Dumb kids deserved to die? Five died but only one of them was the driver. Do you hold all of them responsible for what happened?
There's still many "unguarded" crossings in rural areas, no arms just lights. Several folks a year get wacked at these in NM every year.
Going 68 you simply DON’T have the maneuverability to bypass the barriers; ram through them sure, but not evade.
The whirring sound from the train could be the “dynamic” braking along with the regular air breaks. Yes it did take the train some time to stop.
After this experience one could say the driver of the car was well trained.
A kid would think so. And if he was in the oncoming traffic lane, why would a dumb kid think he couldn’t make it? Watch that video again. That car was MOVING.
The kid’s car not only went around warning barriers, the idiot passed three/four cars in front of him that were already stopped AT the warning barriers.
have some compassion. They ARE KIDS who paid the ultimate price. reported to mods.
Some lessons learned the hard way cannot ever be corrected. Sad. Prayers for the families of the deceased.
Google map of the intersection. Idiot driver passed four (4) people stopped at the gate and flashing lights, and signed his own death warrant...dumbass took 4 innocent souls with him.
Someone is going to get sued...the driver had a half dozen moving offenses and several suspended driver's license violations.
Another thought...why on earth is a 14 year old girl running around with guys out of high school?
Posted by dbroughton on 08/07/09 at 1:16PM It seems to me that none of you know what your talking about. My son was a good driver! He had all of his overly expensive driving classes and he was just doing his friends a favor, who by the way were allways with him. He had to go to work they weren't going to the beach. We paid all his fines and his record was clean. Nobody knew his license was suspended or he would not be driving at all!@!!! I love my son and every kid in that car. Why don't you mind your own business and leave us to his Greif. The Harris family has nothing to say about this because their son lived with me for the past 9 monthe. How could they have possibly told him anything he was at my house. I am greiving over all these kids and I am sick and tired of everyone trashing my son. Please stop it's enough already. Donna Broughtgon
So sad...
I can understand a mom not wanting to hear her dead son trashed.
He was far from a good driver, however.
NO Teenager is a good driver. Hell, as good a driver as I was (cough cough), at times, I took risks that were simply idiotic. I can remember several times where I could have died. There but for the Grace of God...
They all start out as inexperienced drivers, but some are a lot better drivers than others. Even being in that age range where you think you’re immortal, many kids won’t take incredibly stupid risks. These kids are more afraind of their parents or losing their license than peer pressure.
For example not all teens kill themselves and everyone else in the car. Not every teen drives drunk. Not every teen treats a car like crap. Not every teen texts while driving. Not every teen drag races. (And I am not saying all this was going on in this accident, these are general statements.)
She is partially to blame in this, regardless.
ping
1) "…We paid all his fines and his record was clean. Nobody knew his license was suspended or he would not be driving at all…"
This statement by the mother shows they knew he had a history of driving recklessly and tried to get his record cleaned. And, on top of that, you, as a parent, cannot claim not to know your child has a suspended license if "…we paid all his…" applies.
2) "…My son was a good driver! He had all of his overly expensive driving classes…"
Another indicator that the parents knew just how bad a driver their child actually was.
For this to be a "story" the train would have jumped the track and hit the car? You have a screw loose somewhere.
Mothers are partially to blame for all children that commit crimes. They chose not to have an abortion.
>>What a non-story.
>
>For this to be a “story” the train would have jumped the track and hit the car?
Or something like that. This is a case of physics. We have a massive object speeding along (the train) and a smaller object speeding along, the smaller object having many times less mass is easier to stop than a more massive object traveling at the same velocity.
The outcome of bypassing the safeties is utterly unsurprising: cars do NOT win collisions with trains. Period.
Got it. The train always wins in a collision. However, most cars bypassing the guards avoid collisions and therefore "win" the contests.
also
steel on steel (railroad wheel on rail) is a very low coefficient of friction
ain’t gonna stop fast
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.