Posted on 05/11/2005 7:17:41 AM PDT by weegee
A pickup driver was killed in downtown Houston late Tuesday when his vehicle was broadsided by a Metro light rail train, the first fatality on the rail line since it opened to the public in January 2004.
The accident happened shortly before 10:30 p.m. on southbound Main at Jefferson. The driver, who was killed on impact, was believed to be a man in his 30s. He was the only person in the Dodge pickup truck, police said.
Veda Flores was following the pickup truck when she said the driver drove through a red light and into the path of the oncoming train.
"We stopped at the light but he kept going," she said. "It was just like slow motion."
Visibly shaken after witnessing the fatal accident, Flores said it was clear the driver was at fault.
"There was no way the train could stop," she said. "He (the train operator) didn't have time."
The front of the train ripped through the driver's side door and pushed the pickup about 50 feet along the tracks.
"The impact is right on the driver's door, which is kind of a weak part of the vehicle," said Sgt. G.T. Hall, with the Houston Police Department accident division.
The pickup truck came to a rest against the Downtown Transit Center stop at Main and Jefferson.
Police said four passengers on the train were taken to area hospitals with minor injuries. Eight other riders were not injured.
Accident investigators confirmed that the train operator — who wasn't injured — likely would not be found at fault because the victim ran a red light and may have been speeding.
" We're very confident that the fault lies with the deceased," Sgt. Hall said.
Transit agency technicians were at the scene to remove a recording device — similiar to a black box in an airliner — which investigators hope may offer clues in the investigation, such as the speed of the train at the time.
Metro officials said they also would be conducting an investigation into Tuesday's fatal accident.
"We're going to have to take a hard look at it and see if there's anything at all we can do to improve safety," said Metro spokesman George Smalley.
Since MetroRail began taking passengers it has been involved in more than 74 accidents, including at least four in which pedestrians were struck by trains.
The 7.5-mile rail line holds the record for the number of accidents in a year among light rail systems in the United States — 63, set during its first year of operation.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority and police have blamed all but one of the accidents on pedestrians getting too close to the tracks and motorists attempting illegal turns across the tracks or running red lights.
Critics blame the record number of accidents on the system's at-grade rail design, with some nicknaming the $324 million MetroRail "The Danger Train." Questions also have been raised about confusing signage and traffic lights along the rail line. Additionally, MetroRail tracks share the left-turn lanes with motorists in the Texas Medical Center area.
In the first quarter of this year, Metro reported 13 rail-automobile collisions, half the number during the first quarter of 2004.
Metro considers an incident a reportable accident if it results in at least one injury or property damage in excess of $1,000.
The rail line carries about 32,000 riders a day as it runs from the University of Houston-Downtown to just south of the Loop 610, and back.
The train has a top speed of 40 mph, but an average speed of 15.5 mph, according to Metro.
Metro officials expect to resume full operation of the light rail by rush hour today.
Having lived in Houston for ten years, I can say that a commuter rail from someplace to someplace (like from Katy to downtown, for instance) would have alleviated a lot of congestion on I-10.
The fact that it was built from the Astrodome to The Field Formerly Known as Enron to service Drayton McClane's business ventures is criminal.
Funny thing is in Houston they dug down to put in the new road and rail line for this thing, and construction was slowed because they hit the trolley rail from 100 years ago. The city fathers then figured out rail was not a good idea in Houston. But liberals are slowly creeping into the game now, and creating a complete mess of the roads etc.
The trains in Houston travel atround 30 mph ("The train has a top speed of 40 mph, but an average speed of 15.5 mph, according to Metro") and make no effort to stop outside of the loading stations. The law makes it clear that people are not to collide with Metro's train.
If you read another quote, she says "There was no way the train could stop," she said. "He (the train operator) didn't have time."
I've seen car drivers who choose to hit their horn instead of the breaks. Same result. Slow down and accidents can be avoided.
The lights traditionally (but don't always) turn red in all four directions when the train approaches the interesection. If a driver is approaching a green light and it turns red quickly, some will speed up instead of stopping. If they believe that the rail will also stop before proceeding through the interesection (obeying "their" light), then they may think it is safe. Metrorail does not stop for any red light.
Police and other emergency vehicles stop before they run red lights in this town.
Bus drivers have to stop and listen for REAL trains any time they cross traintracks. There is no reason that Metrorail couldn't approach each interesection from a stop before proceeding.
Isn't the Federal Transportation and Safety Board suppose to protect tax-paying citizens from this TERROR TRAIN?
To hear the left tell it, cities got rid of rail because of evil auto manufacturers bribing city officials.
The buggy whip manufacturers are still upset too ;P
Sure but elevating rail costs more money- the state government can't provide and some of our own representatives actively work in congress to kill any funding for mass transit in Houston- this was the only option left.
Also it goes through the medical center where I work- there are skybridges there connecting the buildings- with an elevated system those skybridges would have had to been torn down shifted up a few stories or just eliminated altogether.
Can you explain to me the logic of building it from the Astrodome to The Field Formerly Known As Enron, other than as a personal favor to Drayton McClain, who already owns half of Houston?
By Metro's own calculations, only a few dozen people can actually use it to commute.
If it had been built from Katy to downtown, tens of thousands of people could and would have used it.
Metro is nothing but affirmative action for minority crooks.
Sooner or later there will be a lawsuit against MetroRail and the city about the safety of rail, and they will lose.
What this individual did in this unfortunate case was wrong I am sure, it does not excuse Metro from their liability of making an unsafe rail line, which can be proven sustained.
If I were to build an apartment building, say seven stories tall, and install balconies on this building but not place a rail, citing esthetic or finacial reasons, would I be acting negligent?
Let's say I could even paint a giant red line on the floor of the balcony a foot or two from the edge, and post a sign say "do not stand on or past the red line", would that be enough?
Let's say I even had the power to have a law passed saying it was illegal to stand on or past a thick red line on a balcony, does that excuse what I have failed to do?
For I can guarantee you people will fall. Metro may claim it was not their fault, and the driver violated the law, but with Metro's current accident record, and all of the history, there is more to the story. The rail iine is a lawsuit waiting to happen.
The truth of the matter is they considered elevated rail "ugly". It was about taking a picture and presenting their people mover to the Olympic committee.
Houston wanted the Olympics and wanted a way of getting large numbers of visitors between their 5 stadiums.
It never was about moving workers in and out of downtown.
The more you learn about who was influencing the mayor's office (in Houston, Cleveland, New Orleans, Detroit, and other major cities) bribing officials for city contracts, the more this scandal becomes a national disgrace.
The Chronicle sat out on this one just as they protected their boy Ken Lay (who went to bat for them to get the 51% majority vote to get their billions of dollars of new stadiums).
How may pedestrians have been hit in the medical center so far?
Well at least they have ready access to some of the finest medical care in the world.
No one said it had to go down that street (Fanin?).
The surface rail makes cars wait at traffic lights (which adds to congestion and pollution).
What exactly was the point of this expensive boondoggle?
If "Houstonians" don't use rail, then why didn't Metrorail serve the visitors of Houston instead?
Metro opposed the smarter line that went from Intercontiental/Bush Airport into a triangle of the Galleria, Medical Center, and downtown.
Can't offer any solutions in this town that keep visitors out of cars (especially now that the city is dependent on their higher rental car taxes, roughly 28%, for the financing of the staduiums).
As someone else pointed out, it would have been far cheaper to buy each rider a Jeep Liberty than build this toy train.
Houstonians use the Park and Rides all the time. Whoever told you that they would not use mass transit if it were available in meaningful form is simply blowing smoke.
And to say this is the first fatality! Check out the Wham-Bam-Tram numbers on the Action America Houston page http://www.actionamerica.org/houston/index.shtml
Shoot weegee, if they and anyone else is smart - they'll stop or slow down before going through a green light in this town (Houston).
Another sign that this is a yuppie shuttle...
The city is trying to force Greyhound to move their bus terminal off of West Gray and Main St. Not because it gets too much or too little traffic, but because it is "unsightly" to the new residents in the area. Look for the city to pick up the tab on the new terminal if they move.
The downtown establishment is about lining their pockets, not improving Houston.
Poor, stupid dope.
When it's between an automobile and a train, ALWAYS bet on the train.
>How may pedestrians have been hit in the medical center so
>far?
I don't know offhand- I though there was a website that kept track of this but I can't seem to find it now.
>Well at least they have ready access to some of the finest
>medical care in the world.
>No one said it had to go down that street (Fanin?).
>The surface rail makes cars wait at traffic lights (which
>adds to congestion and pollution).
In the past I had to wait for buses alot more as there are no dedicated drop off or pick zones for buses. Six of one, half dozen of another.
>What exactly was the point of this expensive boondoggle?
The population of Houston is growing and is predicted to continue to grow. Travel times to all of the outlying suburbs is increasing, not just Katy but Pearland, Sugarland, etc... What can be done to ease the problem? The two choices are mass transit and widening of the highways as is happening between Houston and Katy. If you go with mass transit, you have got to start somewhere. Mass transit works best in areas with relative high population density. Houston suburbs are problematic because they are not densely populated.
Also with gas price trends looking the way they are people may soon start looking for alternatives. There aren't any great options though given the overall low density sprawl that is greater Houston.
>As someone else pointed out, it would have been far
>cheaper to buy each rider a Jeep Liberty than build this
>toy train.
The medical center does not have enough parking for all of its employees and with the plans of Baylor expansion and Methodist expansion there is not going to be any more anytime soon. More SUVs wouldn't help.
>Houstonians use the Park and Rides all the time. Whoever
>told you that they would not use mass transit if it were
>available in meaningful form is simply blowing smoke.
Perhaps but I was hearing this from native Houstonians and being a transplant myself what do I know about how the locals think.
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