I just saw this news flash across the bottom of the screen. Do we have reporters on site? Will there be film at 11? Jon, I hope you were clear enough not to get hurt.
www.wtnh.com has photos and video from helicopter … appears the locomotive was undamaged, and none of the 200 aboard were injured. Trash truck driver partially ejected, transported for minor injuries by Essex EMS (also on the video) … speed limit 20mph for the railroad, train continued approx 1.5 cars past the impact.
Garbage truck on its side, and back partially open, spilling garbage out. Was at the Dump Road grade crossing in Deep River … Lights, and traffic signal but no gates …
No cause listed yet, but when I was a conductor there, that ALMOST happened a number of times … and I can’t remember the train ever being where it should not have been.
Matthew (OV)
** update: They’ve updated the video … CSP saying now it was the truck’s fault, turned into Dump Road in front of the train (red signal, No Right Turn/Train light, Crossing Protection) … unknown whether he’ll be charged.
Geeze - Scooped by a reporter 5 states away.
My information is the same as Matthews. I saw the news report. They said nothing about equipment damage. The accident happened on the return trip from Deep River to Essex where the engine runs tender first at the head of the train (they have no turning facilities).
They hit a garbage truck who ran the crossing signals - and knocked the sucker over on it’s side!
JR
Hey, just lookin out for you guys. My usual late afternoon habit of watchin the news, listen to the radio, checking the email, while reading a trade magazine and I saw what looked like something you guys might want to check out.
What a loon!
The driver knowingly drives a lumbering trash truck into the crossing, lights flashing, bells clanging, and pulls in front of a hissing whistle blaring steam locomotive going a whopping 15 mph, and gets rolled for it…how much you wanna bet he’s already got a lawyer trying to angle its the RRs fault. Who do we talk to to get “Criminal Stupidity” listed as a felony?
As usual , the poor bloody truck driver is hung drawn and quartered before the full facts are known .
Of course the train has right of way . But if there are near misses quite often , what is the cause ?
Have a little think , which way did the truck turn across the track? From overtaking the train? If it was doing 15 mph , the truck must have overtaken it . If the truck was coming from the opposite direction , how easily visible was the square end of the tender ? In any case , how visible and audible–asumming no faults – are the warnings ?
The truck is hardly damaged There is more to this than meets the eye . If the truck was going to the dump , as implied --and judging by the load , it was , then the driver would have been aware of train traffic . Nah , too easy .
This is back in the local news here today. Seems like the police are looking into the driver and the trucking company. Nothing has been said by them other than the investigation is on-going. The trucking company’s only comment was that he’s glad no one on the train was seriously hurt. The driver is still listed in “fair” condition and isn’t talking to police. He was ejected from the truck when it rolled over.
Mike - I believe that the truck was overtaking on a road that parallels the track. If my facts are correct, then he turned right into the path of the train. The warning lights are visible from the parallel road for just this reason and they were working. My guess is that the center of gravity was already nearing the point of no return as the truck made the fast turn. A little bump from the tender could be all it took to push it over. I’m assuming a little bump as the train is running today and there has been no mention of any damage to the train.
I don’t see any way they could blame the train moving at 15 MPH through a protected crossing.
JR
My youth included a family friendship with people that inherited a fleet of garbage trucks. (Seriously). They made very good money on it and have long since retired to Florida. Anyway, during leaf pick up season, or if there was a problem many times my Dad and I were recruited to help. 3 times, I got to help shovel garbage (a very humbling, awful, back breaking, smelly job) because of trucks dumping or falling over. The trucks have an extremely high center of gravity when loaded. One went over because the owner’s son-in-law (another unwilling volunteer) ran it over a curb on to tight of a turn in a very high income community. The two tow trucks that were used to pull the truck upright really tore up a front yard, while the homeowner of the yard was screaming on the phone to his lawyer in the drive way. Truely one of my fonder childhood memories. 
I always wondered what that guy would have done if we would have just left the garbage in his front yard.
Have you ever seen a garbage truck catch on fire? They have to empty the load in the street to let the fire department put out the fire. Another smelly, heavy disgusting job is cleaning up water soaked, recently cooked garbage. It really gives you an inspiration to make good grades. It takes time to get that smell out of your nose.
Mike Morgan said:There were a LOT of near misses when the access to the Town Landfill (now Transfer Station) and junkyard there were via private road, and unprotected private crossing. Then, finally, the DOT decided what they wanted, and the automatic protection went up. The crossing lies approximately 40 feet from the main road. There are crossbucks equipped with flashing lights and bells, and because of the turning traffic, there are extra sets of red flashing lights that are aimed on an angle so as to be visible by traffic turning from either direction. The crossings also have "lunar white" lights aimed down the track in each direction to confirm to the engine crew that the signals are in fact functioning.
As usual , the poor bloody truck driver is hung drawn and quartered before the full facts are known . Of course the train has right of way . But if there are near misses quite often , what is the cause ? Have a little think , which way did the truck turn across the track? From overtaking the train? If it was doing 15 mph , the truck must have overtaken it . If the truck was coming from the opposite direction , how easily visible was the square end of the tender ? In any case , how visible and audible--asumming no faults -- are the warnings ? The truck is hardly damaged There is more to this than meets the eye . If the truck was going to the dump , as implied --and judging by the load , it was , then the driver would have been aware of train traffic . Nah , too easy .
There is a four way intersection with a traffic light on the main road. The traffic signal has an extra “NO LEFT TURN – TRAIN” sign in one direction, and a “NO RIGHT TURN–TRAIN” in the other, as well as “NO TURN ON RED” signs posted. There are appropriate advance warning signs for the crossing, including the one that shows the crossing “around the corner” for turning traffic. The traffic signal has an interconnect with the grade crossing protection … when the protection becomes active, the traffic light turns red in all four directions (the DOT wanted NO MOVEMENT during the passing of the train, even on the road parallel to the track where it might have been possible,) and the signs prohibiting turning described above are illuminated (otherwise they just appear black) as soon as the bells begin to ring, and the grade crossing lights begin to flash. Traffic leaving the junkyard/landfill/transfer station has their traffic signal BEHIND the grade crossing protection, so that traffic has to stop BEFORE the tracks when the signal does not permit passing through the intersection. Traffic ignoring the traffic signals, the signs, and still attempting to make an illegal turn would then encounter the doubly equipped grade crossing warning before proceeding into the intersection. In fact, the discussion at the time was that the crossing was not equipped with gates so that in the event that a vehicle for whatever reason ignored all of the rules, passed through the red light and past the warning signals to attempt to turn into moving traffic instead of waiting for the light to turn green, and found itself on the tracks with a train approaching, that it would have a way to escape into the (presumably empty) intersection before the train arrived.
The train travels at a speed of 15-20 mph on that section of the line, and even when running “Tender First” is equipped with a full size locomotive headlight, which is run day and night. The locomotive carries a former New Haven RR six chime whistle, which is blown in the traditional Two Long / One Short / One Long at the whistle post (1/4 mile) and the bell is started ringing. As the locomotive approaches the crossing, the whistle signal is repeated once more, with the last long blast sustained until the locomotive occupies the crossing.
Of course, you can judge for yourself. Watch the train cross the crossing in question, observe the position of the traffic light, and listen to the whistle … only difference is this is Engine #40, which carries a 3 chime whistle. Also note that this clip starts at the start of the SECOND whistle signal as described above; the whistle has already blown one signal, and the bell has been ringing for 1/4 mile or more.
http://www.steamlocomotive.info/vidlocomotive.cfm?display=304
The accident happened at this crossing with the train running in the other direction from the one in the video… as there is no facility to turn the engine, it’s run by the train at the far end, and pulls home in reverse.
For this accident to have happened, The truck had to ignore a traffic signal that had changed to red at least 27 seconds before the train arrived at the crossing (and this crossing is actually set to start a great deal sooner, much to the chagrin of many waiting motorists who complain about having to wait to drive parallel to the train) disregarded the “No Turn on Red” and turned right, then passing a flashing and ringing grade crossing signal, and missing entirely the whistle and bell on the locomotive (which, by now, seeing the truck, would be screaming even more than usual) which was close enough so as to be unable to stop from 15-20 mph before striking the truck. The train would have been proceding at its normal pace, doing what it always does, and would have observed that the grade crossing protection was working correctly, and sounding the appropriate warning, when the truck suddenly appeared in front of it, leaving no time to stop. You would think the driver would have observed the train approaching from his left, and while turning DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HIM, immediately before he turned in front of it.
So if it’s the train’s fault, I can’t fathom why. At the very least, the truckdriver was adequately warned at least three different ways before impact that his decision was a poor one. As to having the facts, I think comparatively, that I do … having been responsible for the same movement of the same train on the same section of the line more times than I can count. My only guess is he was convinced, wrongly, that he could easily beat it across the tracks. In all fairness to the engine crew, had they been given the opportunity to explain it with more than a blast on the whistle, and a judicious application of the brakes (again, no passengers were damaged!) I’m quite sure they’d have gone over it in detail with him… I know I’ve explained it to a few drivers who were fortunate enough to make their mistakes early enough that my train could stop, providing me with the opportunity to chat with the fellow and provide some impromptu safety education, instead of calling an ambulance for him.
Hopefully this is thorough enough.
Matthew (OV)
One final note … as to the functioning of the signals on this particular occasion … they were functioning normally, period.
Oh, one other question I forgot to answer… about how visible the tender is …
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo=200309040555496907.jpg&byrail%3A92%3AValley_Railroad
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo=200307291127427828.jpg&byrail%3A94%3AValley_Railroad
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo=joe_valley.jpg&byrail%3A110%3AValley_Railroad
Under road conditions, this is even more impressive, as the headlight is not dimmed, and the locomotive is much more visible under load.
Matthew (OV)
Yes , all very interesting and germaine .
All I said was don’t call the truck driver an idiot before you know the facts .
Notwithstanding all that is said above , only the crew of the truck know what happened .
There are level crossings put in all over the world , willy nilly ,with the attitude that it will cost money to make them safe .
And everybody obeys the law , right ?
Of course , repeating what I said above , the train has right of way .
That does not give anyone the right to condemn the truck driver before knowing ALL the facts .
Being on the fringe of the trucking industry , I am regularly made aware of accidents where it is the truck drivers fault–it’s got to be , innit ? All over the world , it’s the truck driver ,never anyone else .
My son had an accident in his truck–it was written off and he nearly was too --at a known blackspot .
He did not know it was accident prone , but it came out in court when he was accused of dangerous driving . Fortunately , witnesses stated that the car that hit him was speeding , going too fast for the conditions , so my son was grudgingly let off with a warning . Ten years later , the black spot is still the same , there are accidents there regularly . It would cost too much too make the junction safe .It was designed over 50 years ago . BUT , the point was , as he was waiting to be cut out of the wreckage , he heard people saying "typical truck driver , speeding "
The trucker is not automatically an idiot .
Ok. So all truck drivers aren’t idiots. I agree. And … I don’t know that I was ever tempted to think otherwise.
In the case of this truck driver at this crossing on this railroad with this train, on this occasion, I tend to think that the possiblity of a lapse in judgement on the part of a truck driver who may or may not otherwise be a perfectly responsible and capable person is possible enough that I might even suggest it’s likely, given what I know of that train, that crossing, and the measures in place to prevent exactly that sort of thing from happening.
Apparently, both of our positions have support locally.
See http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=5285480
(WTNH, Aug. 15, 2006 6:25 PM) _ Police are still trying to piece together the circumstances that lead up to yesterday’s crash involving the Essex steam train.
We are learning more about the driver behind the wheel of the garbage truck as well as the company he worked for.
by News Channel 8’s Darren Duarte
A truck owned by John’s Refuse and Recycling collided with the popular Essex steam train Monday with 200 tourists on board.
Eyewitnesses say the truck driver ignored flashing lights and was crossing the tracks when hit by the train.
Today the waste company’s owner tells News Channel 8 that “his driver, Nick Resto, has a great driving record, no violations and we aren’t sure why this accident happened.”
Owner Andy Bozutto says his family has run this business for more than 40-years.
State police hope to have an answer soon.
Passengers on the train say they felt the impact but no one was seriously injured.
The truck driver remains at Yale New Haven Hospital tonight in fair condition.
So… an otherwise capable fellow appears to have made a decision to do something most of us would not, given the opportunity to think about it, do. At the very least no one’s suggesting that it’s the fault of the railroad, it’s people, or its equipment that he did so.
As to the perception that a preponderance of truck drivers are prone to poor judgement (obviously nothing applies to “ALL” of any group) … I think it would make for an interesting discussion at some point to explore where that perception comes from. I know several very capable drivers of large trucks… and have met several who were not.
I do know that when I read the above, and saw the name Andy Bozutto, that I remembered having had to speak with that very man once about another of his drivers who, again, may have been a perfectly responsible and otherwise conscientious operator of a garbage truck, but who on the occasion I happened to encounter him on the highway, apparently made an extremely poor decision about the proper way to react to the presence of the ambulance I was driving, with flashing red lights and a siren behind him … I admit, the temptation to recognize the early signs of a pattern is overwhelming.
Matthew (OV)
The truck driver remains at Yale New Haven Hospital tonight in fair condition.
Without a cat in hell’s chance of a fair hearing judging by the predictable pro rail stance .
I love trains , have done for 60 or so years . I do not let it blind me to blameworthiness in cases like this .
You have to ask yourself who put the traffic system there the way it is . Prosecute them for being the prime mover behind the lamentable situation .
We all know that trains can’t stop on a sixpence . We also know that “to err is human” .So , is there likely to be a movement to make the crossing safer ? Who knows , I certainly would not prejudge that issue .
The comments about motorists complaining about the time they have to wait . Surely a case of someone “crying wolf” when deciding the timing of signals .
I am reminded of a classic piece of film taken at a level crossing where a truck is clouted by a large diesel watched by the driver of a car who was stopping the truck moving off the crossing . Another total truck driver fault .
If these things are investigated with bias in mind , accidents will continue .
Mike
PS what I mean of course is try him fairly , then hang him .
The cooberating evidence supports my initial observation that the truck driver made a stupid judgement and tried to beat the train, his fault, period!
Its remarkably similar to grade crossing accidents we get here at least once a month, and the common denominator is always, saw the lights, heard the bells, decided they didnt want to wait and go thru the gates, and get creamed by a train. Then we hear about the lawsuit by the “Victim” claiming the train lept out of nowhere and hit them with no provocation. So OK from your viewpoint maybe I jumped the gun, but from my viewpoint , its a so very familiar story.
Theres an old saying
“If you walk into a Redwood and get knocked down, you dont blame the Redwood”
From my viewpoint , jumping the gun is as criminal as committing the crime . No excuses , it’s just not the done thing .
Do you realise that if this series of posts gets into the hands of the blokes defence lawyer he can claim prejudice ? Prejudice , from the latin meaning pre judge . No fair trial .
Mike
he’s likely to make that claim anyways Mike. Ya know how lawyers are! hehehe
Andre’
I’m finished here. I have an overwhelming suspicion that either I’m being baited, or this is a run of Mephostophelian advocacy of the kind of Brodbinagian proportions I’ve never encountered before … and I’m not sure how to continue without making it worse, falling into it, or simply becoming too sarcastic to continue in a respectful and intelligent manner.
If my interpretation consists of prejudice and supposition, so be it… the prosecution rests.
Matthew (OV)
Matthew ,
Neither in my case .
I am trying to make the point that you should not publicly lambast the truck driver–courts do that , with everyone given a fair hearing .
How do you know that the engine of the truck did not stop at an awkward moment ?
No , I stand by what I said , it is facile to blame the bloke just because it’s a train involved , and a steam one at that .
I have no detailed knowledge of the area , the video of the railway engine in your link is just that , a video of an engine . The helicopter shots are no longer available , which is a pity because they showed a junction set out as an accident waiting to happen .
What’s the betting it stays that way ? Stupid truck drivers , they caused it , no need to look any further .
Lynch 'em , I say .
Mike
Geez, Mike.
The guy wasn’t OVERTAKING the train, he was on a road parallel to the tracks APPROACHING a freaking STEAM ENGINE with a New Haven Whistle, and lights!
The intersection is one that is stiffer than Federal standard of 27 second delay, this one being over one minute.
All 4 traffic lights at the intersection turn red.
Crossing lights (and bells) start, and run, for the entire time.
BIG SIGN that says No Turn On Red, and some other sign about No Right Turn…
So, he runs a red light, makes an illegal right turn, ignores crossing lights and bells, ignores the mandated whistle signal, whereupon the crew TIES THE BLOODY CORD DOWN as he decides to beat a steam engine with 200 folks in passenger cars doing 20 miles an hour…loses…and you want to defend the half-wit?
Maybe I am being magnanimous with the “half” part.
What if the track speed was greater?
What if the chassis had wedged under the tender and flipped the engine off the track?
What if the cars had piled into the hot steam engine?
Mike, there is video of this, there are eyewitnesses, lights and bells were working, signs have been there for YEARS, the New Haven 5-chime was freaking TIED DOWN, and you want to defend the AXXHOLE!?!?!?!
I could tell you about the idiot truck drivers around her…the garbage truck that made a right turn off a side street onto an arterial and across the centerline right into where I was…or the double dump rig that decided to run down a hill and not stop, ran through a red (2-1/2 miles from me), and dumped onto three cars.
About an hour later, as the aid cars are gone, towtrucks are gone, waiting for the big crane to right the truck, a passerby asked one of the cops on the scene if they knew there was another car smashed flat under the trailer…
Or 3 weeks ago, another one with a container decides he really can’t make it through on a yellow, cranks it hard right, and dumps the container on three cars.
I won’t tell you about the gravel truck and the school bus.
The hell I won’t.
School bus stopped, lights on, kids getting out, gravel truck driver not paying attention, finally dumps the air and crashes into the schoolbus.
Ah, but once again, when they cleared the gravel away…there was a car in between.
Hopefully, he’s not wrong, and the train crew failed to run at track speed, or have their lights on, or blow the whistle, and the crossing lights and bells all failed, the traffic signals all failed to green at once, and the “No Right Turn” sign was removed by vandals…but I don’t think so.
Rail Crossings are a tad different over here, Mike.
There are a LOT of them.
arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Yes , Dave ,but the law is the same . Don’t pre judge . Simple enough , innit ?
Mike