Car vs. Train = 4 dead in Canton Twp.

[Meddle]

Picked up off the national news wires, didn't catch where though. Apparently they drove around the gates. Don't people ever learn?

[Blarf]

The thing is wonder most is why a 14-year old girl is hanging with a a group of 17-18 year old guys.

[wolverine]

So very sad. The story said they were dragged to the next crossing. I can't imagine this being a quick death. My prayers go out to the families.

Despite all youtube videos and reality shows featuring train-car collisions, you'd hope people at an early age would take these crossing signals seriously.

[ZRX Doug]

I would imagine it was actually a VERY quick death. The car was hit by an AMTRAK train at a grade crossing where the train speed is typically 60+ mph.
Anybody who survives the initial impact of a locomotive that's doing a mile a minute has gotta have a big red "S" on their chest..

[Retroit]

The thing is wonder most is why a 14-year old girl is hanging with a a group of 17-18 year old guys.

You make it sound like there was some mischief involved [[other than driving through a railroad crossing warning sign). Is it possible they were [[non-sexually active) friends or [[non-incestuous) relatives?

[Meddle]

My prayers go out to the families.

Don't forget about the Engineer and the rest of the train crew and passengers, as well as anyone else sitting at the crossing that watched it happen and the emergency responders that had to deal with it.

[ASR89]

This is a very unfortunate accident and I'm sorry this happened, but this accident could have easily been avoided. Isn't not going around railroad crossing gates something you learn from a young age, and through drivers ed? Common sense? 70 mph Amtrak train > Car. It's a shame Darwin took the passengers too. I feel really bad for the engineer. He / She couldn't do anything. And all of the passengers on 353 got delayed. ;_;

[LEOQUEEN]

This broke my heart when I saw the news reports. The driver was young, and made a big mistake...one that they all paid the ultimate price for. I think also about the person in the white SUV that was waiting at the crossing, and the kids car drove around to try to beat the train. They saw it all. And there was nothing they could do!

From what I understand from the newsguy at the scene, the bodies were still on site several hours after the collision...the emergency workers were having a difficult time extricating them from the wreck.

My daughter and her friends are new drivers. You better believe I am going to talk to her about this.....

[jtf1972]

My daughter and her friends are new drivers. You better believe I am going to talk to her about this.....

My daughter is 16. If your daughter is anything like my daughter, she won't listen.

[dtowncitylover]

A good scale I heard for a train-car collision is the impact a car makes when driving 60 mph and it hits a water bottle. When I heard that, I was flabergasted. My prayers go out to their families.

[LEOQUEEN]

My daughter is 16. If your daughter is anything like my daughter, she won't listen.

My daughter is also 16. She will listen. I have my ways.

[MIRepublic]

I don't get why in 2009 we still have people dying because train barriers are easily crossed. We've gone to the moon, and much of our infrastructure [[wooden telephone poles, etc...) are like a walk back to the 19th century.

[ZRX Doug]

I don't get why in 2009 we still have people dying because train barriers are easily crossed. We've gone to the moon, and much of our infrastructure [[wooden telephone poles, etc...) are like a walk back to the 19th century.

Because we still have stupid people. I use the crossing where this accident occurred at least once a week..it's only unsafe if YOU choose to make it unsafe.
It ain't broke, so why fix it?
You cannot legislate or engineer intelligence into people..and the process of engineering/legislating to the lowest common denominator does nothing but punish the rest of us.

Last but not least..if you manage to engineer a "foolproof" train crossing, some fool will come along and prove you wrong.

[thecarl]

My daughter is also 16. She will listen. I have my ways.

i listened to my mother. she had eyebrows that did all the talking. actually, it was probably worse if just one eyebrow had something to say.

[Ray1936]

Just for the heck of it, I went to that crossing via Google street view. Approaching the crossing from the south [[driving north), the view of the east side of the tracks is completely blocked by trees. The train was coming from the east. The driver, foolish as he was, would not have seen the train coming until he practically was on the tracks. However, that does not mean it's okay to drive around the gates, to say the least.

Anyway, it's reported that the SUV first in line was observed waiting for 17 seconds before the kids passed it and went around the gates. Probably impatient; didn't see the train coming, and thought the gates were stuck [[view to the west is completely clear). Bad hunch.

Not trying to excuse the act of stupidity; just trying to pick through what might have been in the driver's brain.

[thecarl]

fear factor, cedar point, hang gliding, parachuting, indy racing, scuba diving, mountain climbing, platform diving, motorcycling, bicycling without a helmet, etc. many people crave excitement. unfortunately, it sounds like a young thrill-seeker tragically misjudged. let's not be too harsh in our assessment of what happened, given the chances so many of us take every day. in fact, i'd better not see you blowing a red light tomorrow morning!

such a very sad, everlasting nightmare for the parents, brothers, sisters, friends, and family of those lost in this tragic dare. and adding to the pain are people who freely use words like "stupid" to describe what happened. maybe "senseless" would be a better description.

[ZRX Doug]

I'm just glad it didn't happen twenty yeaqrs ago..I drove a tow rig for the impound yard that contracted to Canton Township back then, probably would have ended up hauling this gory mess away once the EMT's finished scraping out bodies..

This crossing is no more "obstructed" than any other..and it's damned hard to miss the sound of an AMTRAK train when it's within striking distance of you..there really is no excusing the driver's actions..he made a stupid decision and paid with five lives..
At least nobody on the train was harmed..physically, anyway..my guess is that the engineer & crew are gonna carry the picture of that pretty little girl in their minds for a damned long time.

[daddeeo]

Even if you can't see the train, the horns are going when they approach an intersection. Perhaps they had music blasting away. Maybe "Stairway to Heaven?"

[thecarl]

Even if you can't see the train, the horns are going when they approach an intersection. Perhaps they had music blasting away. Maybe "Stairway to Heaven?"

people lacking in tact and compassion, making detroit what it is. or "isn't." thanks, daddeeo.

[diver1369]

I used to work at a location on Merriman, south of Michigan, where that Amtrak train would come through. That train was fast and would close on you quickly. That train's horn could easily be heard unless you were playing your music up loud in the car. I suppose a combo of that and a youthful sense of invulnerability led to the tragedy. My heart goes out to the families, the railroad personnel, the victims and all those who had to be called to the accident site and witness what they saw.

"Stairway To Heaven"? daddeeo, you're dating yourself.

[MIRepublic]

Because we still have stupid people. I use the crossing where this accident occurred at least once a week..it's only unsafe if YOU choose to make it unsafe.
It ain't broke, so why fix it?
You cannot legislate or engineer intelligence into people..and the process of engineering/legislating to the lowest common denominator does nothing but punish the rest of us.

Last but not least..if you manage to engineer a "foolproof" train crossing, some fool will come along and prove you wrong.

Please. We've got crazily outdated infrastructure, period. People shouldn't be able to so easily get around these things, whether they are a fool or not. I'm not even talking about this specific incident but the overall fact that even at the best crossings all we have is a flimsy bar seperating it from traffic and at many crossings, not even that. Transportation safety infrastructure in much of this nation is down-right embarrassing.

[Fnemecek]

Okay - how would you design the crossing?

[jt1]

people lacking in tact and compassion, making detroit what it is. or "isn't." thanks, daddeeo.

Daddeeo [[who doesn't live in Detroit) making a classless remark is not an indictment on Detroit. Quite the stretch. Call daddeeo and asshole if you must but his comments are the comments of one person.

[daddeeo]

At least I did grow up and live in Detroit at one time. I haven't been calling anyone names here either.
Some guys around here can't handle the truth.

[ZRX Doug]

Please. We've got crazily outdated infrastructure, period. People shouldn't be able to so easily get around these things, whether they are a fool or not. I'm not even talking about this specific incident but the overall fact that even at the best crossings all we have is a flimsy bar seperating it from traffic and at many crossings, not even that. Transportation safety infrastructure in much of this nation is down-right embarrassing.

Dude..the purpose of the "flimsy bar" at a crossing is not to restrain would-be track crossers..it's a visual alert to a dangerous condition, not a freakin' guardrail.

I suppose you are equally up in arms at the deplorable condition of regular street crossings..those damned red lights don't hold ANYTHING back!

What would you have them do? Place a nanny at each railroad crossing to scold the foolhardy and then console them with cookies & milk?

The bottom line is that trains are big heavy, dangerous effin' pieces of machinery that don't have the ability to stop quickly..on the upside, they're pretty easy for the average Joe to spot, what with the being FREAKIN' HUGE and all..also, they hardly ever sneak up on unsuspecting fools anywhere but on rails..the presence of rails is definitely a major clue that there MAY just be a train somewhere in the neighborhood..

I feel very sorry for the four innocents that were killed by the [[also dead) dumb-ass in a hurry..but anyone who places the blame for these deaths ANYWHERE but behind the steering wheel of that well-squished car is suffering from delusions..