Train hits veterans parade float

waltky · Nov 18, 2012

Why didn't the float driver stop and let everyone get off?...

Officials: Vets' float crossed track after signals
18 Nov.`12 A parade float filled with wounded veterans that was struck by a freight train had crossed onto the railroad tracks after warning signals were going off, investigators said Saturday.

Four veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan were killed and 16 more people were injured when the train crashed into the flatbed truck in West Texas. It was the second of two floats carrying veterans in Thursday's parade in Midland. The first was exiting the tracks when the warning bells and signals were activated, 20 seconds before the accident, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The second float didn't enter the tracks until several seconds after the warning system went off, the NTSB said. By that time, the guardrail was lowering. "Once the crossing becomes active, people should stop," lead investigator Robert Accetta with the NTSB said at a news conference Saturday afternoon.

The timeline was pieced together by combining information from a video camera mounted on the front of the train, another one on a sheriff's car and a data recorder that acts like an airplane's black box, activating when the train blared the horn, NTSB member Mark Rosekind said. Nine seconds before the crash, the train sounded its horn, a blaring that lasted four seconds, according to Rosekind. The guardrail hit the truck, then the engineer pulled the emergency brake, trying to bring the train that was traveling at 62 mph to a screeching halt. People on the first float and dozens of others who had come out to greet the veterans shrieked and watched in shock, as some aboard the truck tried to jump off, witnesses said. The veterans' military instincts kicked in as they treated the wounded.

The NTSB has also interviewed the engineer and conductor, and established the train's air brakes were working, Rosekind said. No mechanical problems were found with the cars. A review of the train's maintenance history found no defects, he added. The tracks also had no problems. Investigators will try to establish on Monday what the engine could have seen as it approached the truck, Rosekind said. Part of the investigation includes whether the parade group, Show of Support/Hunt for Heroes, had the proper permit. The parade has been an annual event in Midland for nine years. "It has a long history, and I don't know what the original arrangements were," City Manager Courtney Sharp said. "But for the most part we require permits."

Railroads are a vital part of Midland, a town that sits in the heart of Texas' oil rich Permian basin. It's listed as having nearly 114,000 residents, but residents and officials believe the population has risen significantly with the growth of the oil industry. Three or four railroad tracks lie within city limits, and the site of the accident is just about 10 minutes from downtown, said Midland spokesman Ryan Stout. That's considered when the city grants permits for parades and other events, Sharp said. "We take all steps into consideration when we permit," he said. "I hate to go down that track until all of the investigation is over, but yes we do take that stuff into account."

More http://news.yahoo.com/officials-vets-float-crossed-track-signals-001937014.html
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waltky · Nov 18, 2012

Feds investigators say train signals, lights & gates worked properly...

Feds probe deadly Texas train-truck crash
Nov. 18,`12 (UPI) -- Federal investigators said all warning lights, gates and bells worked properly before a train hit a parade float carrying wounded veterans in Midland, Texas.

The crash Thursday killed four people and injured 16 others, The Wall Street Journal reported. The flatbed truck was one of two carrying veterans in Midland's annual salute to wounded military and was driven by a young soldier in uniform who survived the crash.

The 7,200-foot Union Pacific train was traveling at more than 60 mph, below the limit for that stretch of track, the National Transportation Safety Board told reporters Saturday. The engineer sounded his horn and crossing warnings and barriers functioned normally, the investigators said.

The NTSB is interviewing witnesses and reviewing video from the train and a police car that was nearby, the report said. Early speculation among witnesses is that the truck driver was distracted by the parade noise and activities, but that wasn't certain, the Journal said.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012...truck-crash/UPI-30381353254053/#ixzz2CdAmMT8a
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waltky · Nov 19, 2012

Doomed Parade Float Used Tried-and-True Route...

Parade where vets killed used route for 3 years
Nov 19, 2012 - Floats had followed same one for 3 years

Organizers of a parade in West Texas in which four U.S. military veterans were killed when a train plowed into a truck had been using the same route for three years, investigators said Sunday. National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Mark Rosekind also announced that oilfield services company Smith Industries was the owner of the truck that served as the float the veterans were on during Thursday's parade in Midland. Rosekind said the company was cooperating with investigators, who expect to interview the driver on Monday. The NTSB declined to release the driver's name, and Rosekind said investigators don't know if the driver worked for Smith Industries.

Rick B. Smith, Smith Industries' CEO and president, did not immediately respond to phone calls or emails seeking comment. Investigators have said the truck began crossing the train tracks even though warning bells were sounding and lights were flashing. However, some Midland residents said they believe the signal time is too short. They say the guardrails aren't completely down by the time a train comes whizzing by. "The signals come on and the arms go down, but before they are fully down, the train is already at the intersection," said Mark Thomas, who lives blocks from the track and says he crosses it daily. "These signal times are unacceptable," Thomas added.

According to the NTSB, the warning system was activated 20 seconds before the accident, and the guardrail began to come down seven seconds after that. Everything functioned properly, Rosekind said, but investigators will have to check to make sure the signal timing met the requirements for that particular crossing. The truck was the second of two parade floats filled with wounded war veterans. The first float had already cleared the tracks when the accident happened. Four veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan were killed and 16 more people were injured.

The parade was organized by a group called Show of Support-Hunt for Heroes and has been an annual event in Midland for nine years. It was supposed to be the start of a three-day weekend of banquets, deer hunting and shopping in appreciation of the veterans' service. Rosekind said investigators were also looking at whether organizers had the proper permits for the parade. "This is an entirely volunteer organization and activity, so there were a lot of things that were donated, and so that changes kind of the rules of what had to be filed," he said.

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State highway safety director reassigned following revelations of driving violations
11/18/2012 - Highway Safety Honcho Has Abysmal Driving Record; Massachusetts' Sheila Burgess will be reassigned

The administration of Governor Deval Patrick, embarrassed by revelations that the state highway safety director has a driving record that includes seven accidents, four speeding violations and two failures to stop for a police officer, announced today that the director will be removed from that job. Sheila Burgess, the top safety officer since 2007, is on medical leave recovering from an Aug. 24 one-car accident in Milton in which she drove off the road and suffered a head injury. She told police she swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle in her lane. Burgess will be assigned to a “different role” within the state Office of Public Safety and Security, according to a statement released today by Mary Elizabeth Heffernan, the public safety secretary. “Given her driving record, it is clear that Ms. Burgess should not have been hired as the director of Highway Safety in 2007,” Heffernan said in the statement.

Burgess is a former fund-raising consultant to high-profile Democratic candidates for public office, including Congressman James McGovern, whose office said on Friday that McGovern asked the newly elected Patrick administration in 2007 to hire Burgess, but without suggesting a specific role for her. She is paid $87,000 annually. Burgess had no experience in public safety, transportation or government administration when hired, according to her resume. Heffernan called Burgess “a solid and dependable employee” during the intervening years, but today, following a Globe story that revealed her driving record, said she no long has confidence in Burgess leading the state’s efforts to reduce accidents by promoting good driving practices. Burgess “cannot expect the public’s trust, nor mine, as the directory of Highway Safety going forward,” the statement says.

Burgess, 48, of Randolph, has 34 entries on her record. Since her appointment to a state job, Burgess has faced no new moving motor vehicle violations, however. Her license was active but flagged for non-renewal for failure to pay local excise taxes. Those taxes were paid and her license cleared on Nov. 1, after the Globe began making inquiries. Heffernan’s statement was released hours after Patrick, speaking to reporters at a public event unrelated to Burgess, said he was angry about her being hired as highway safety director and vowed to find out how it happened. “I will get to the bottom on it,” he said.

Burgess’s most recent crash occurred on a sunny summer afternoon in a state vehicle during work hours. State Police say they arrived at the scene on Unquity Road in the Blue Hills Reservation to find Burgess being assisted by an ambulance crew. The public safety department produced a record showing Burgess was not talking on her state-provided cellphone, but declined to release a summary of how many text messages, if any, she sent or received during that month’s billing cycle. Such bills provide total number of text messages in the month, but do not say when the texts were sent or received. Spokesmen for Patrick and Heffernan declined to comment on whether such paperwork will be released soon.

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waltky · Nov 29, 2012

Train Warning Delayed in Texas Crash: Records...

Rail Crossing Built for Longer Alert
Nov 29, 2012 - Alert designed to sound 10 seconds earlier

The railroad crossing in Midland, Texas, where four veterans died after being hit by a train this month was designed to give motorists 30 seconds warning of a train's approach, 10 more than investigators say was given in the accident, according to a Wall Street Journal review of records held by the Texas Department of Transportation. Emergency officials on Nov. 15 at the site where a train crashed into a parade truck, killing four veterans.

A federal probe has found that warning lights flashed and bells sounded only 20 seconds before a freight train hit a parade float carrying veterans and their families on Nov. 15. Crossing gates started to descend seven seconds after the lights flashed, say investigators, striking the float as it tried to cross the tracks. Union Pacific Corp., UNP +1.01% which owns the train and designed the warning system, said the Texas transportation records are dated and "do not reflect current conditions" at the crossing. The plans detail a signal warning system completed in 1991.

The railroad noted the findings by federal investigators that the float "proceeded onto the tracks eight seconds after the red flashing lights and bells activated" and that the crossing met federal requirements. "Disregarding active warning signals is extremely dangerous and we urge drivers to stop once the red flashing lights and bells activate," the railroad said. Federal law requires railroads to give at least 20 seconds warning, but railroads often build in extra time to accommodate traffic and other contingencies.

The Texas transportation records indicate that when the signal warning system at the crossing was constructed, planners anticipated that six trains would traverse the crossing daily, at a speed of 25 mph. The train that struck the parade float was traveling at 62 mph, below the current 70 mph speed limit. A representative of the Texas Department of Transportation declined to comment on the plans. But, the representative said, crossing plans in the state normally provide for a minimum 25 seconds warning.

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waltky · Jan 10, 2013

No indictment in veterans parade float accident...

Grand jury declines to indict driver in Texas parade accident
January 10, 2013 A Midland County grand jury declined Wednesday to indict the driver of a parade truck struck by a Union Pacific train in November, killing four veterans.

Driver Dale Andrew Hayden, a 50-year-old Army veteran, was no-billed in the grand jury proceedings, which prosecutor Eric Kalenak said took most of the morning. There was a lot of information in the police investigation and thats kind of what we presented to them, Kalenak said. Its hard for me to comment on what they did because its their decision to make. District Attorney Teresa Clingman said later in a news release that the grand jury has not finished its review of the incident. Neither she nor Kalenak explained what that meant.

But District Clerk Ross Bush said the DAs investigation of Hayden is complete, and the grand jury may later issue a report about the tragedy, which occurred during a Nov. 15 parade for wounded veterans led by the local group Show of Support. The truck Hayden drove carried 26 people 12 veterans, their spouses and two civilian escorts. According the National Transportation Safety Boards preliminary investigation, Hayden entered a railroad crossing seconds after warning lights and bells activated and just before crossing guards lowered, signaling that a train was on its way.

The train struck the trailer at 62 mph, killing 47-year-old Army Sgt. Maj. Lawrence Boivin, 34-year-old Army Sgt. Joshua Michael, 37-year-old Marine Chief Warrant Officer Gary Stouffer and 43-year-old Sgt. Maj. William Lubbers. Another 16 riders were hospitalized with injuries. The NTSB investigation continues and could take up to a year. The Midland Police Department announced in December it would not charge Hayden, who was reportedly under the care of a physician following the incident. At the time, police offered no explanation, only a heavily redacted investigative report, and referred the case to the District Attorney.

Lawyers on behalf of three injured veterans and their wives filed suit in Midland against Haydens employer, Smith Industries, and Union Pacific, claiming negligence. Separately, Stouffers widow, Catherine Stouffer, sued the companies last month out of Dallas County. Union Pacific announced last month it would repair signal circuitry to add more warning time at the crossing, which is at the intersection of North Garfield Street and West Industrial Avenue. Show of Support never sought a permit for the parade. The group has since announced its intention to continue honoring wounded veterans, though in a different form.

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waltky · May 26, 2013

Spilt fuel ignited a fire after the bridge was hit...

Missouri rail crash brings down US road bridge
25 May 2013 - Two goods trains have collided in the US state of Missouri, bringing down a road bridge and leaving seven people injured.

The crash, in Scott County, prompted one of the trains to derail, hitting a pillar propping up Highway M, reports said. Two cars were on the bridge when it collapsed. Five passengers inside the cars were hurt and taken to hospital. Two people in one of the goods trains were also injured.

The collision happened at 02:30 (07:30 GMT) near Chaffee in south-east Missouri. Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter told St Louis TV station KMOV that a Union Pacific train had just gone through an intersection when it ploughed into a Burlington Northern train.

Several carriages derailed and as one of the trains hit the bridge, spilt fuel ignited a fire. None of the injured was said to be in a serious condition. A week ago, more than 60 people were injured when two commuter trains collided during the rush hour in Connecticut.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22667470
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waltky · Nov 28, 2015

Only 20.4 seconds warning...

Widows: Railroad Knew of Defect Before Veterans Killed
Nov 27, 2015 | Intensive care nurse Angie Boivin had just tended to a woman whose leg was severed near the hip when she saw her husband Larry lying nearby under an American flag blanket. She says that she was with him when he took his last breath.

Larry Boivin earned a Purple Heart in Iraq in 2004, but he didn't survive a Union Pacific freight train that slammed into the flat-bed trailer he and other veterans were riding on during a 2012 parade in Midland, Texas. Three other veterans died and more than a dozen people were injured in the crash three years ago this month. "They used that (train) as a weapon to kill my husband," Angie Boivin said. She and 42 other survivors and family members sued Union Pacific Railroad Co. for negligence, saying the railroad knew 10 months before the collision of a defect in the track detection circuitry, which delayed the activation of warning lights, bells and a crossing gate. The problem caused by that defect was further compounded, they allege, by a reduced crossing warning time set by the railroad in violation of a state agreement.

Shortly before trial was to begin in January, 26 of the survivors and families of victims settled for an undisclosed amount with Union Pacific, the nation's largest railroad with $5 billion in profits last year. A judge dismissed the remaining case in February, and three widows appealed to the 11th Court of Appeals in Texas. Union Pacific must file a response by Dec. 21. Union Pacific called the collision "tragic for the victims and their families" but denied fault. It pointed to reports from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Railroad Administration, which regulates the nation's railroads, that found the warning time before the train reached the crossing met the federal minimum. The railroad has not been sanctioned or fined by any state or federal authority as a result of the accident.

Both sides agree the system gave 20.4 seconds warning that day, just above the 20-second federal minimum. The dispute, according to a review of court documents, is over another part of the same federal regulation that also says a railroad "shall" maintain the warning system as designed. The Midland crossing was originally designed for a 30-second warning by a diagnostic team that included railroad, state and Midland city officials, court records show. The railroad told the transportation board it used a 25-second design for the crossing. Additionally, Union Pacific says that once a federal agency adopts a rail safety regulation, such as warning time, that pre-empts state regulation. Even if the widows win in court, experts said it is unlikely to lead to a review of warning times at the 129,000 crossing nationwide that were designed for more than 20 seconds.

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Train hits veterans parade float

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