Major grade-crossing accident in Valhalla 2/3/15

[LastStopValhalla]

It is insulting to allege that Steven Smalls, Jr. did anything wrong. He was nothing but professional during this incident, and in some respects went above and beyond, at the risk of his safety, and possibly life, to help evacuate Car 4333.

From just what we know- and there is probably more- these were his actions that night.

He was in contact with Conductor Larkin the entire time, and properly declared an emergency to rail traffic control.
As soon as the train stopped, he emerged from the engineer's compartment and justifiably ordered everyone out of the head car.
He guided many passengers to the exits, and along with some other passengers, physically assisted those that could not evacuate on their own. Stories recount that he even carried one or two on his back to the door, where they were passed down to ambulatory passengers.
He attempted to search car 4333 after it was evacuated, knowing that at least two out of the five fatalities (Walter Liedtke and an unknown victim, not Eric Vandercar) were possibly still alive, before being driven out of the car by intense heat and choking smoke.
Smalls then climbed into the second car, 4332, and attempted in vain to force the rear barrel door and save Walter Liedtke, who was seated in the back row. [Liedtke suffered a fatal brain hemorrhage when he was struck in the head by debris. He was near death, if not already deceased at that point]
Despite smoke inhalation and non-critical burns, Smalls stayed near the train, and along with Conductor Larkin, assisted the responders with the initial incident size-up. Smalls was among the last to go to Westchester Medical Center, arriving there nearly 2 hours after the collision.

Many times, unfortunately, a collision can be career ending for train crew members, even when, as in this case, they did everything by the book and more.

I know not everyone has read the NTSB docket and final Railroad Accident Report, but a lot of the opposing claims are complete BS, and can be disproved by the official, objective evidence within.

No, the train could not have stopped sooner. Smalls saw Ellen Brody pulling into the grade crossing and immediately engaged the emergency brake.
The speed of Train 659 was within regulations, and prudent for the conditions at the time.
All gates and flashers were functional at the crossing, and all required road signs and markers were appropriately placed.
That just leaves human failure on the part of the driver who, "for undetermined reasons" as the NTSB said, was distracted and/or disoriented up until the time the gate first hit her SUV. I can accept that scenario as a plausible, though serious, and not necessarily fatal, error. What is incomprehensible to me, is how did that distraction/ disorientation lead to pulling forward into the crossing? We will never know.

[Backshophoss]

Have they finally closed that grade crossing and parkway exit??

[DutchRailnut]

no and unless a replacement (crossing or viaduct) is built it won't be closed, as roads are at capacity at certain times.

and again the crossing does meet all requirements of FRA and NYSDOT for distances, sight lines , signage with zero exemptions.

[EuroStar]

I am surprised that even after such a serious accident, there have been no calls for grade separation in the area of some sort. I am not advocating for grade separation. I am just surprised because in this day and age one expects that at least one not well informed politician would have called for it already.

[Ridgefielder]

I am surprised that even after such a serious accident, there have been no calls for grade separation in the area of some sort. I am not advocating for grade separation. I am just surprised because in this day and age one expects that at least one not well informed politician would have called for it already.

I take it you're not familiar with the area. Here are some pictures.

Taconic Parkway, southbound, at the Commerce Street intersection: https://goo.gl/maps/Byrqxb4pgdF2

Looking west on Commerce Street toward the crossing: https://goo.gl/maps/JYSZiEKjwRT2

Looking east on Commerce Street toward the crossing and the Taconic: https://goo.gl/maps/YbDTR24rAx52

Looking west on Commerce Street from the east side of the Taconic: https://goo.gl/maps/Fq77RbpS9k72

Aerial view: https://goo.gl/maps/7y37DzRGRh52

Engineering a grade separation at this area would be a difficult engineering problem. It's further complicated by the fact that everything on the west side of the tracks here is consecrated ground.

[DutchRailnut]

east side is protected river.

and local taxpayers are really not fond of footing bill to prevent restricted thinking visitors from hurting themselves.

[Backshophoss]

There's only the monument company and the cemetery office/maintance yard/compost heap, that can be reached by backtracking from
town. That crossing needs to be closed off or history will be repeated in the future!

[Head-end View]

Dutch and LastStopValhalla, thanks for your posts regarding Engineer Smalls. I'm very sorry to hear how badly he has been affected by this accident. Especially since he did his job and went above and beyond in the minutes after the crash. I hope he will be able to heal and resume a better quality-of-life in the near future.

[LastStopValhalla]

That crossing needs to be closed off or history will be repeated in the future!

The only known "history" besides the 2/3/15 incident, happened in 1984, when a cargo van tied to beat a train and was struck, critically injuring the driver, who died in the hospital about 2 weeks later.

There has been nothing else reportable to the FRA at Commerce Street- except for trespasser fatalities in the area- in the period since 1975, as far back as their online rail accident database covers.

There are also no known news stories from before that date in The New York Times, or the papers that became The Journal News, reporting a crossing collision.

Facebook @LastStopValhalla

[Jeff Smith]

Saw in the unofficial MNRR FB group 4332 and 4333 were being shipped out to scrapper in Ohio. They were seen on the Enviro siding in Harmon.

[LastStopValhalla]

Are they still there?

Where is the Enviro siding?

[DutchRailnut]

just north of bridge, next to old Harmon shop on track 3 side.

[freightguy]

Enviro siding,

I think Metro North MofW forces have taken over that siding. They started to clear it out last spring I guess after the MTA purchased the property and building.

[Jeff Smith]

LoHud.com: On 4th anniversary of Valhalla Metro-North crash, third rail is focus of litigation

...
Four years after the deadliest accident in Metro-North’s history, the design of the third rail has become a central focus of lawsuits filed by the estates of those who died aboard Train 659, an investigation by The Journal News/lohud.com has found.

The debate comes down to this.

Why did the third rail function like a killing spear, taking the lives of everyone in its direct path and sparking a fire that consumed the lead car?
...
Metro-North says Brody is to blame for the accident for illegally stopping on a grade crossing equipped with warning devices, flashing lights and automatic gates that were all in good working order. The railroad, along with the Town of Mount Pleasant, is suing her husband, Alan Brody, the administrator of his wife’s estate.

Brody, meanwhile, is suing Metro-North and Mount Pleasant, claiming his wife was trapped on an unsafe crossing and unaware she was on railroad tracks. His lawyer, Philip Russotti, says a faulty signal system didn’t provide cars enough time to clear an intersection at the crossing.

In 2017, the NTSB concluded Brody’s actions caused the crash, while noting the third rail design led to the loss of life.
...

[DutchRailnut]

yeah Zambito taking up cause for guilty party again ? told yall that that guy has ax to grind with MTA.
The same third rail has been in use since 1913 until a lady got stupid on a crossing.

This Zambito guy is a yutz. just sayinn.