Two Killed/Two Injured in Car/Train Crash - 7/30

Happened this am at the Porter/Lake Co Line Rd crossing.

http://www.wndu.com/hometop/headlines/99110654.html

Two people are dead and two more are injured after a South Shore train hit a car on the tracks this morning. The accident happened just before 10:15 EST at County Line Road, between Lake and Porter counties. The car, carrying four passengers, was southbound on the road and attempted to go around the crossing gates in front of the train.

My prayers go out to the train crew which thankfully I was not on. The death toll stands at 7 for this crossing since 2007.
Ryan

http://www.post-trib.com/news/2528668,n ... 24.article
http://www.post-trib.com/2529240,galler ... otogallery

A few more seconds of waiting ...

The car was southbound at the crossing and had just waited for an eastbound freight train on the NS line there. She didn't wait for the gate in front of her to go up (which remained down for the South Shore). The westbound South Shore would not have been as easily seen behind the freight. But the gates were easily seen. She may have seen the northbound NS gate raise after that train passed and didn't wait for her southbound gate to lift. (I believe the gates there are wired that way ... both gates down on the tracks with the train and approach gate down on the other tracks allowing escape from the tracks with the train over the other tracks.)

The cantenary work in the area probably saved the survivors lives. The train was running slower than normal due to the construction work. Normally it is 79 along that stretch. For the record, car 17 was leading the South Shore train.

the one woman survivor died in the operating table, this leaves the little child.

For those of you keeping track, A few years back when Train 600 crashed into a South Shore Freight at Tamarack, Car 17 was the 2nd car in the consist. Lead Car 106 is still not back in service.

Ryan

Where is 106 being stored at? Am planning on visiting Shops this Monday morning for a couple hours on my way west to State Line.

Last time I saw it, it was parked near the RIP Track building almost under the Roeske Ave bridge.

Ryan