Teen killed by train in southwest Houston

nolatron

Member
Just saw this on a local news site:

http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou061017_mh_trainteen.4989448a.html

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A train struck and killed a teenage girl who was walking along the tracks in southwest Houston late Tuesday morning.

M_IMAGE.10e0dc96062.93.88.fa.d0.498dd57c.jpg


The conductor tried to warn the teen but she kept walking along the tracks.

It happened around 11 a.m. near Chimney Rock and South Main.

The conductor of the Union Pacific train said he blew his horn but the girl kept walking.

The train wasn't able to stop in time.

The girl was pronounced dead at the scene.

She was believed to be about 16 or 17 years old.
 
It sounds a bit like a suicide - I would think even the deaf would feel a train approaching as would anyone impaired for whatever reason if they could still walk.

No matter, my heart goes out to the train crew that was involved.
 

2slim

Member
Didn't a similar thing happen to a girl who was miss texas teen a year or so ago? She was deaf and supposedly couldn't feel the train. I found that odd as well. Hope this isn't some new suicide trend for troubled girls.

2slim
 

LoudMusic

Member
N Gauger said:
Oh Man!! What's the odds on her having headphones on :( :( :(

MP3 Player??? I-Pod????

Headphones versus a train horn? Maybe, but I can't imagine anyone having enough music blairing IN their ear as to hide a train horn. This coming from a guy named LoudMusic, hah.

Don't play on the tracks!
 

Hoghead

Member
Rusty Spike said:
It sounds a bit like a suicide - I would think even the deaf would feel a train approaching as would anyone impaired for whatever reason if they could still walk.

No matter, my heart goes out to the train crew that was involved.
There is nothing worse than suicide by train. I don't know if the person who chooses to die this way realizes the victims they leave behind. I know a few guys at work who have been involved in more than one fatality/grade crossing accident and some take it harder then others. Every day I go to work, I wonder if todays is going to be the day. When that day does come I have to remember not to look into their eyes, to look away. The eye contact will always haunt the crew member.
 

brakie

Active Member
That is sad indeed..I feel sorry for her family and the crew that has to live with her death.
Some day,some how people will get the message that railroad tracks are not hiking trails and will stay off the ROW.All to sadly we will keep reading such stories untill that day comes.:(
 
Hoghead said:
There is nothing worse than suicide by train. I don't know if the person who chooses to die this way realizes the victims they leave behind. I know a few guys at work who have been involved in more than one fatality/grade crossing accident and some take it harder then others. Every day I go to work, I wonder if todays is going to be the day. When that day does come I have to remember not to look into their eyes, to look away. The eye contact will always haunt the crew member.

When someone decides to take their own life, the thought of the victims left behind ceases to exist for that person as they can not think rationally anymore.

I was talking to someone who claimed to be next to the conductor when a GO train hit someone two months ago. He was able to hear the engineer screaming in shock over the conductor's radio prior to the impact. After the accident, the engineer had to be sedated and removed from the train. I hope that guy is doing better and back to work. That is definitely one hell of a horrific experience. I'm grateful I don't have to go through that!

And Hoghead, here's hoping that day never comes to you.
 

Dave-the-Train

New Member
Rusty Spike said:
It sounds a bit like a suicide - I would think even the deaf would feel a train approaching as would anyone impaired for whatever reason if they could still walk.

No matter, my heart goes out to the train crew that was involved.

I've worked on the rails for more than 25 years and trains can come on you without you knowing it for lots of reasons. You don't necessarily see them, hear them or feel them (the least likely)

(Smooth wheels on smooth rail ,especially ribbon rail, should not be creating much vibration and can produce none that you will feel on the ballast). (A train doesn't need to be moving at much speed at all to kill you).

When I get knew people to mentor i always ask them what the most dangerous thing on the track is. The answer is "You are".
  • You put yourself there
  • You pay attention or not
  • You put yourself in danger or not (just being there is dangerous)
  • You look out for yourself or not
  • You get distracted... you probably will be distracted... "or not isn't really an option
  • You have something to do/attend to/see... worst is "in a hurry"
  • You forget things... like one train will hide another.
  • When YOU hear a train horn YOU get clear OF ALL LINES... the one you see ain't necessarily the one that blew...
  • When the tail of a train passes... another may be coming on the next track... Don't put YOU in front of it
  • When the last container on a flat goes by in the dark it doesn't mean that it isn't followed by a string of empties. Don't walk YOU into it.
  • When you wait for a train to clear so you can cross wait clear of the track. Don't put YOU in the path of another train
  • When you walk out your home put home behind you... wether it was a row or a great day... You want to walk back in at the end of your shift.
One of the biggest killers is probably fatigue... just a bad night's sleep... messes up your attention and focus.

Here in the UK mobile phones are banned on track except for authorised use and that is only permitted standing in a place of safety. -> You can easily walk from safety to unsafe... or slip - 'cos you weren't paying full attention.

You know the thing about not using your mobile and driving... well, it applies on track... except that if you mess up it will be you that loses the argument.

Hands free sets and ipods/etc are totally banned on track.

Radios have to be hand held and again used standing in a place of safety.

I can't say how many near misses I've had. I can recall three where I came within inches of being hit by trains at speed.

Twice recently I've taken myself off track because I've realised that, even though there were no trains about at the time, I was moving wrong and had not looked up and/or not looked in the right way. Both times I had a coffee, got my head on right and started again. I'm still alive.

You don't need anything outside you/your head to not be aware of a train movement. "Domestic troubles" probably run a close 2nd to fatigue. Whether its bills or a row with the significant other. A friend of mine recently came within less than an inch of being wiped out. Train went into full emergency - not that that would have saved him - everything was sorted... mistake made...(next) they should have escorted him off track... he promptly nearly got splatted by another train. They pulled his tickets for a couple of weeks 'cos they want to keep him alive.

This is all professional rail people... the public and rail fans don't stand a chance. Yopu don't know how to switch into "the mode" as we might call it.

First stage of switching (as I've said) is when you leave home for work. You don't turn that back off until you get back home. There are then levels of alert as you go lineside, prepare to go on track and go on track.

Sorry if I've "gone on" i would like to help you all to be aware... working with trains is a bit like working with guns... a gun is not going to get up on its own and shoot you.
 

brakie

Active Member
Let's look at these common sense safety statements shall we? :D
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You put yourself there
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Not always..There are streets, alleys and sideways that bunt against the tracks..Then some cities has busy main lines running down the center of the street..As people get accustom to these hazards mistakes are made and death and injury is the results.
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You pay attention or not
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Sadly nobody can pay attention 100% of the time including railroad men..There lays the fatal trap that leads to injury and death.
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You put yourself in danger or not (just being there is dangerous)
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Not really..I been railfanning for years and always keep a safe distance.But as a former brakeman I know the dangers..Again keep your wits about you and use good common sense and there is NO danger other then derailing cars in the event of a derailment..However by having a escape route and watching the train at a angle as it comes toward you that minimizes the risk after all if you see ballast flying and hear unusual noises from the train then you can bet something is amiss.
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You get distracted... you probably will be distracted... "or not isn't really an option
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Again nobody can pay attention 100% of the time but,by using good common since like staying away from the track there should be no danger.
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You have something to do/attend to/see... worst is "in a hurry"
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Sadly today just about everybody is in a hurry this of course leads to accidents of all types.But,when one is railfaning he should be relaxing and not in a hurry.
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You forget things... like one train will hide another.
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This is true on double tracks or around yards..However,on a single track one train can not hid the other.So,common sense will tell you one MAY be following the train that just went by..At any rate you have a few minutes or maybe longer before the next train but, like ALWAYS stay off the tracks and you will be ok.Remember NTAT-Next Train Any Time.
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When YOU hear a train horn YOU get clear OF ALL LINES... the one you see ain't necessarily the one that blew...
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Again stay off the tracks and you're good..Nothing like horse sense when railfaning.
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When the tail of a train passes... another may be coming on the next track... Don't put YOU in front of it
======================================================
Again good advice for double or triple main lines-obey the Stop,Look and Live rule.
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When the last container on a flat goes by in the dark it doesn't mean that it isn't followed by a string of empties. Don't walk YOU into it.
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This has been a problem for years so now by Federal mandate railroads are apply reflector tape on side of freight cars from better night visibility..
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When you wait for a train to clear so you can cross wait clear of the track. Don't put YOU in the path of another train
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This is a repeat of the above so I will say-Stop,Look & Live.
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When you walk out your home put home behind you... wether it was a row or a great day... You want to walk back in at the end of your shift.
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Sadly that will never happen..Minds will wonder to home and things to be done at home.
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As far as fatigue...This causes more accidents..People working 11pm-7am are at the highest risk of having a on the job accident or a accident on the way home regardless how many years a employee been working midnights according to a study by NHSC and other such groups.
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As far as radios as a brakeman I had to stand near the train while talking on the radio..As far as hand held scanners used in railfaning most railfans I know has them secured in a carrying case attached to his belt..
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As far as railroad men getting into the mode that is not always true.Minds wonder,mistakes are made and somebody looses a limb or his life.Sadly the "perfect" railroad man doesn't exist.Fatigue is the main culprit and personal problems takes its share.NEVER think railroad men are always safe.YOU could lose your life because of HIS MISTAKE.Ask any crew that has survived a head on because the other crew ran a absolute stop.Ask a brakeman or conductor that lost a leg because of a mistake by another railroader..
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As far as railfans not standing a chance don't bet the farm many railfans know the dangers as well as the railroad men.Railfaning is SAFE when COMMON SENSE is USED.
 
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