Car vs train...

[Atmo]

While driving back to a friend's place tonight, passing over a level train crossing, we noticed a car sitting just off the road on the tracks. After clearing the crossing i pulled over, put the hazzard lights on and got out to see what was going on.

A young girl, about 20, got out of the car and yelled that she was stuck and the wheels just spun if she tried to move forwards or back. I was about to enter the crossing to see if we could push it off the track when the bells signalling that there was a train coming started, and the boom gates started to drop. The girl turned to get back in her car, so we started yelling at her to get off the tracks. She ran over, just in time to see her car get ploughed into by a passenger train travelling at about 80km/h.

Luckily there was no one else in the car, and there were no passengers on the train. No one was injured, but she and the driver of the train were a bit shaken.

The car was a mess though:

http://www.psykotech.com/misc/Dsc00046.jpg

http://www.psykotech.com/misc/Dsc00047.jpg

http://www.psykotech.com/misc/Dsc00048.jpg

http://www.psykotech.com/misc/Dsc00049.jpg

I was surprised it was mostly in one piece, as it ended up getting thrown about 75m from where it was sitting.

So all in all it wasn't an entirely dull night...

[Mr Jones]

Blimey, accidents like that seldom have anything like a happy ending, was the train ok, did it de-rail?

[shakey_snake]

http://imgred.com/http://forums.denverbroncos.com/images/smilies/th_jawdrop.gif

[Atmo]

Originally posted by Mr Jones
Blimey, accidents like that seldom have anything like a happy ending, was the train ok, did it de-rail?

The train stayed on track, stopped a few hundred meters later.

[Schmeet]

Damn, that sucks but I bet it was awesome to see it happening.

Related video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uaFfFU2RyQ

[watadoo]

Why was she stuck? Did she try to go off-roading in her little car and cross somewhere other than, like, on the road?

[Warrior of the Light]

unbelievable that she actually wanted to get back into her car..

[beanboy89]

Originally posted by Mr Jones
Blimey, accidents like that seldom have anything like a happy ending, was the train ok, did it de-rail?
Indeed. Not often do you hear about these types of accidents ending very pleasantly. She was sure lucky!

[sgtfuzzbubble011]

Wow. :eek:

Glad no one was hurt. :up:

[Atmo]

Originally posted by watadoo
Why was she stuck? Did she try to go off-roading in her little car and cross somewhere other than, like, on the road?

I'm not sure, we didn't see how she managed to get there. It looked like she may have turned off the road in the level crossing (maybe she thought it was a road or something) and ended up on the tracks. When we got there, the car was perpendicular to the tracks, like she'd tried to turn and drive back over the track, and that was where the car became stuck.

[ElChevelle]

She was blond, huh?

[Canon]

Is that a miata?

[k_rock923]

http://www.mta*******lirr/pubs/video/Crossing.htm

Graphic train safety video from the LIRR (Long Island Rail Road, pretty much the only one here on the island.)

[Atmo]

Originally posted by ElChevelle
She was blond, huh?

Brunette.

Originally posted by Canon
Is that a miata?

It was a Hyundai Excel.

[ElChevelle]

Meth user?

[swingdjted]

If I owned a Hyundai I'd get good insurance and do the same to it.