Metro trains on Red Line collide, killing 6.
In what’s being called the worst accident in the history of DC’s Metro, 2 trains on the Red Line have collided killing 6 and injuring at least 50.
Metro train smashed into the back of another at the height of the Monday evening rush hour, killing at least six people and injuring scores of others as cars from the trailing train jackknifed into the air and fell atop the first.One of the fatalities was a female train operator, Metro officials say. The woman’s name has not been released.
D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin says more than 70 people were transported to hospitals. Of those, two people have life-threatening injuries and 50 are classified as “walking wounded” injuries.
The initial reports say that one train stopped awaiting the train ahead of it to clear the station when a 3rd train came up behind it at speed and rammed into it. The trains regularly hit 60-70 mph during rush hour. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims.
As is procedure in transportation accidents the NTSB has taken over the investigation. Just as I’ve said during aviation accidents this investigation will take time and, while details will come to light sporadically, we need to wait for the final findings to know what really happened. In the meantime, the normally lousy commute from Maryland’s going to get worse for a while. The track will be closed during the investigation and it can’t be rushed. Plan accordingly.
Click the link to the WTOP News story for a photo gallery if you’re interested.
Comment from The Bulletproof Monk
Time June 24, 2009 at 20:21
Computer malfunction. Those trains are supposed to trigger brakes via a proximity detector. But this morning , there were rumblings about two cars that had passed their scheduled brake replacement maintenance.If the computer did not malfunction, and the brakes were inoperable, the lawsuits just got worse for Metro.