NE933
Conductor
The new Florida commuter rail that just started has, according to radio news, had its first grade crossing. Woman passenger got out in time.
new SunRail hits car
- Thread starter NE933
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Hope it's not our FL Princess. 
NE933
Conductor
Edit function not working on my Blackberry.
Update: car stalled, and woman was hit by the airborn debris. Happened around 2-ish.
Update: car stalled, and woman was hit by the airborn debris. Happened around 2-ish.
amtrakwolverine
Engineer
I think this is the 2nd grade crossing accident. First one the train hit a landscaping trailer that was stopped on the tracks. That driver was cited.
It was not me - I would not be in a car - I would be on the train.
Here is an another article:
http://www.mynews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/news/article.html/content/news/articles/cfn/2014/5/19/sunrail_train_crash.html?cmpid=breaking
Here is an another article:
http://www.mynews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/news/article.html/content/news/articles/cfn/2014/5/19/sunrail_train_crash.html?cmpid=breaking
Scott Orlando
Service Attendant
Scotty on the spot....
I hope the driver is ok. Perfectly good and relatively new car ruined. Impact at Packwood Ave by Sunrail P317 Northbound. Vehicle sent about 30 feet north of the intersection (behing the firetruck in this picture). The train was brought 1/4 mile further north to Maitland station. Crew and passengers interviewed by police. Amtrak 98 was just past the north Winter Park signal and reversed back to Winter Park. Southbound Sunrail was not delayed. P317 and 98 both were delayed about 1 hour.
I hope the driver is ok. Perfectly good and relatively new car ruined. Impact at Packwood Ave by Sunrail P317 Northbound. Vehicle sent about 30 feet north of the intersection (behing the firetruck in this picture). The train was brought 1/4 mile further north to Maitland station. Crew and passengers interviewed by police. Amtrak 98 was just past the north Winter Park signal and reversed back to Winter Park. Southbound Sunrail was not delayed. P317 and 98 both were delayed about 1 hour.
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crescent2
Conductor
Nice looking train! Thanks for posting the pic.
Ah, to be able to even glimpse a passenger train... *sigh*
Glad the driver got out relatively OK.
Ah, to be able to even glimpse a passenger train... *sigh*
Glad the driver got out relatively OK.
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"The 28-year-old driver — who had recently purchased the vehicle and was still learning how to drive a stick shift — got out of the car before the SunRail train hit the left side of the Infiniti."
Great place to practice driving a stick! Anyone who has ever driven a stick knows that stalling the vehicle is the first thing that happens to you every few minutes while you learn how to control a clutch.
Great place to practice driving a stick! Anyone who has ever driven a stick knows that stalling the vehicle is the first thing that happens to you every few minutes while you learn how to control a clutch.
Why would someone want an Infinity with a manual transmission?
Devil's Advocate
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I hope the driver has to pay for any damages along with a fine large enough to leave a serious impression.
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Green Maned Lion
Engineer
I dunno why anyone would want an Infinity stereo with manual transmission. However, why somebody would want an overtly sporty car like an Infiniti G37 with a manual transmission is obvious- it's fun.
I enjoy driving sticks. I've been sad they have mostly disappeared. The 5 speed in my Alfa Romeo Qudrafoglio was a dream. There's nothing quite like the scream of 24 Italian valves and four Italian camshafts over six Italian cylinders down a country road while shifting gears and squealing tires. Except of course the 125 decibel scream made upon reading frequent Italian repair bills.
I enjoy driving sticks. I've been sad they have mostly disappeared. The 5 speed in my Alfa Romeo Qudrafoglio was a dream. There's nothing quite like the scream of 24 Italian valves and four Italian camshafts over six Italian cylinders down a country road while shifting gears and squealing tires. Except of course the 125 decibel scream made upon reading frequent Italian repair bills.
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A tv news story just reported that the driver went around the crossing gates, and then stalled on the tracks.
Devil's Advocate
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Sounds like a great time to explore extended revocation of the the driver's license.
Scott Orlando
Service Attendant
Dear Policyholder:
While we value you as a customer, your policy does not cover 'driving around railroad crossing gates' or 'learning to drive a manual transmission at a railroad crossing'........
While we value you as a customer, your policy does not cover 'driving around railroad crossing gates' or 'learning to drive a manual transmission at a railroad crossing'........
Ryan
Court Jester
You can pry my manual transmission from my cold dead hands.
Just not at a grade crossing, because even I'm not that dumb.
Just not at a grade crossing, because even I'm not that dumb.
Note to GML: FIAT stands for "Fix it again Tony!" All Italian vehicles are garage queens and Very expensive to buy, operate and maintain! Old racing saying: Speed costs money, how fast do you want to go!
And even the Car Mags are finally admitting that automatics have gotten so good and perform on a par with sticks that you may as well get the automatic, especially when you drive in traffic!
And even the Car Mags are finally admitting that automatics have gotten so good and perform on a par with sticks that you may as well get the automatic, especially when you drive in traffic!
Green Maned Lion
Engineer
I've never driven a fast Fiat. A Maserati yes, an Alfa yes, but a Fiat?
That being said, I once had a 1978 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 which had a stroked and bored version of the 600 Pullman limousines engine stuffed into its light air suspended body. It was the fastest four door sedan in the world, a title it maintained until Rolls-Royce decided to turbocharge its aluminum 6.75 V8 and place it in the Bentley Mulsanne Turbo. Either of those two cars are mechanically bullet proof, and I know the Mercedes is from personal ownership.
Fast cars can be reliable. But generally speaking, only Mercedes has ever built them consistently.
That being said, I once had a 1978 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 which had a stroked and bored version of the 600 Pullman limousines engine stuffed into its light air suspended body. It was the fastest four door sedan in the world, a title it maintained until Rolls-Royce decided to turbocharge its aluminum 6.75 V8 and place it in the Bentley Mulsanne Turbo. Either of those two cars are mechanically bullet proof, and I know the Mercedes is from personal ownership.
Fast cars can be reliable. But generally speaking, only Mercedes has ever built them consistently.
If the stalling happens before the gates go down, that's one thing. That is actually one of the few "excusable" reasons for a grade crossing incident, since engines can stall/cut off at the worst times with little sign in advance (my dad once had a Mercedes that we thought had seen an engine cut-off problem fixed, but it went ahead and cut off randomly again afterwards) and not correct immediately. I know there are supposed to be emergency phones at crossings or something in that vein, but so few people have ever encountered that situation that I'll grant it isn't common knowledge what to do.
That said, if she went around the gates, it is on her IMHO.
(Edit: My family was a Mercedes family for the longest time...and my first car, an '87, is currently down in Florida.)
That said, if she went around the gates, it is on her IMHO.
(Edit: My family was a Mercedes family for the longest time...and my first car, an '87, is currently down in Florida.)
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Devil's Advocate
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Back in the 1970's cars might just up and stall suddenly. If you're still driving a car that might stall suddenly in 2014 that's on you. Either keep your unreliable car in better repair with more frequent service checks or choose a more reliable brand or find a route that doesn't cross active tracks. Even if there is some sort of one-in-a-million failure involving a grade crossing stall that could not be countered with a more reliable brand or more frequent maintenance then get out and push your car out of the way. If you cannot push your car yourself then wave somebody down to get help. If you're on an incline then release the break and roll your busted and broken car out of the way.
I have never seen or heard of anything like that. Where I live there are no such phones. In fact there have been no such phones anywhere I've lived. Or anyplace I've visited. Put the car in neutral and push it out of the way. After that you can worry about calling someone to tow your suddenly stalling junk heap to a repair shop or junk yard.
It's also on us to hold her responsible and punish her accordingly.
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Green Maned Lion
Engineer
Modern cars stall, bro. They have sensors and are self-protecting. So they shut off instead of risking a catastrophic failure.
Devil's Advocate
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Cool story bro. Stalling in the middle of a grade crossing is still a one-in-a-million chance if you're driving a reliable brand. If you're driving an unreliable brand that is prone to break down often enough to end up stalled on the tracks then that decision is on you. If you insist on driving flaky vehicles then the least you can do is avoid grade crossings while traveling in those vehicles. People who think stalling on the tracks is a natural part of modern life probably shouldn't be driving in the first place but if they insist on doing so anyway and if they cannot be bothered to drive a reliable brand then they should ensure they are in good enough shape to quickly push their POS off the crossing when the time comes.
