Phone call leads to train crash

[D'z Nutz]

I just dunno what to say... :banghead:

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Crime/2008/11/17/7435746-sun.html



Phone call leads to train crash
By DAVE DORMER, SUN MEDIA
The Calgary Sun



A Calgary police officer checks on a car that was struck by an eastbound C-train, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008. (Sun Media/Jack Cusano)

CALGARY -- An out-of-province driver stopped his car to talk on a cellphone yesterday but picked a bad place to do it.

Despite the efforts of other motorists to warn him he was stopped on a set of C-Train tracks, the man apparently didn't hear their honks and shouts and was broadsided by an eastbound train at Memorial Dr. and Deerfoot Tr. N.E.

Roberto Gonzalez, 31, and two co-workers were stopped at a red light behind the Toyota Corolla just before 10 a.m. when he saw the car was on the tracks.

"He had his hazards on and I thought, 'Oh no, I think the train is coming,' " said Gonzalez.

"I looked one way and the train wasn't coming but then I looked the other way and it was, so I started honking.

"The guy behind me started honking, too."

Gonzalez said the out-of-province driver stayed in his car and was apparently oblivious to the danger barrelling toward him.

"When I talked to him he said he was on the phone trying to get some directions," said Gonzalez.

"He was so worried about getting the directions he didn't hear us honking.

"I got out after and asked him if he was OK and he said that he was good, so I called 911."

The car was pushed about 10 metres and the driver was uninjured.

Commuters riding on the C-Train were forced to wait for nearly an hour while crews worked to remove the car lodged under the front before being transferred onto a city bus to continue on their way.

Police continue to investigate the cause and said charges are likely.

[Tik-Tok]

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u64/TykTauk/motivator7021800.jpg

[Masked Bandit]

Out of province driver eh? Who the hell stops on a set of tracks? I'm surprised he's managed to stay alive to ripe old age of 31. I'm thinking this guy is a prime candidate for a Darwin Award at some point in his life.

[3g4u]

Totally moronic.:facepalm:

[Eleanor]

Too bad he wasn't killed. :thumbsdow

We really don't need stupid people like this on the planet.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Smooth.

[em2ab]

If I'm thinking about the right place, I'm not surprised. There's no arm to come down over the road there and the two sets of tracks are pretty far apart. So usually I stop at the first set of tracks and pissed off drivers usually go around me honking and sit between the 2 sets while I patiently wait. Usually 2 cars will fit in between the tracks but I can see why someone from out of town would think they can just join the back of the lineup without realizing they're on a set of tracks.

[EG_Civic]

should i start to honk too??

[cmodem]

Originally posted by em2ab
If I'm thinking about the right place, I'm not surprised. There's no arm to come down over the road there and the two sets of tracks are pretty far apart. So usually I stop at the first set of tracks and pissed off drivers usually go around me honking and sit between the 2 sets while I patiently wait. Usually 2 cars will fit in between the tracks but I can see why someone from out of town would think they can just join the back of the lineup without realizing they're on a set of tracks.

:werd:

[kenny]

As stupid as the driver was for stopping on the tracks, I think the train driver was pretty damn blind too.

[gretz]

Originally posted by kenny
As stupid as the driver was for stopping on the tracks, I think the train driver was pretty damn blind too.

no, it makes his day more exciting

[finboy]

Originally posted by em2ab
If I'm thinking about the right place, I'm not surprised. There's no arm to come down over the road there and the two sets of tracks are pretty far apart. So usually I stop at the first set of tracks and pissed off drivers usually go around me honking and sit between the 2 sets while I patiently wait. Usually 2 cars will fit in between the tracks but I can see why someone from out of town would think they can just join the back of the lineup without realizing they're on a set of tracks.

:werd:

from the news you could see that he was at the memorial deerfoot crossing, add in snow on the roads and a driver who isn't familiar with the area and i'm not surprised it happened. that said, the driver is still an idiot and the government really needs to get cracking on making cell phones while driving illegal.

[Kloubek]

I wonder if someone would get in trouble for using their vehicle to push him out of the way. Unfortunately, people wouldn't likely consider that because it comes with too many potential suing implications. Too bad - could have saved everyone a lot of time, and his car would still be intact...

[yue]

out of province? nice excuse, if you are going to drive in this country you do not stop on train tracks, just like you do not drive through solid red lights.

[yue]

Originally posted by finboy
that said, the driver is still an idiot and the government really needs to get cracking on making cell phones while driving illegal.
LOL, on the tv news report he "THOUGHT" he pulled over, thats why he was on the phone. that was also why his hazard lights were on before the train hit him

[dezmarez]

Originally posted by Eleanor
Too bad he wasn't killed. :thumbsdow

We really don't need stupid people like this on the planet.


really?

[riceeater]

"yeah you know what, i'll just stop driving right now, turn my blinkers on, and just start writing down directions for a couple minutes in the middle of the road"



:bigpimp: HE'S RIICKK JAAAAAAAMESS BIIITCHEZ!!!!! :poosie: :whipped:

[mekeni]

:facepalm: :facepalm:

[max_boost]

epic fail :facepalm:

[Redlyne_mr2]

Funny that they wont say which province the driver was from.

[redx2nv]

he was from NFLD, from what the sun said//

[sr20s14zenki]

lol

[GQBalla]

damn newfiesss

i was goin to say sask

[FiveFreshFish]

I thought the TV news interview said he's from BC.

[djayz]

How is it possible to pull over on the road there, the lanes are so small this guy wouldve had to jump a curb or actually drive onto the tracks themselves to not be obstructing traffic.

As bad as that intersection is this is just a stupid situation in which alot of people could have done something to avoid the whole thing.

1) Guy shouldn't have stopped where he did
2) Guy should've been paying attention to surroundings, there is signs there that say do not stop on tracks.
3) Train driver should've taken precautions to be ready to stop, can't blame him fully for hitting it since he might have thought the car was moving ahead, either way should've been prepared to stop with a car on the tracks.

Ohh well glad no one got hurt atleast.

[em2ab]

1. Newfoundland hasn't had trains for about 20 years so it kind of makes sense.
2. That intersection is not like any other railroad intersection. Because of the way the tracks are laid out, you have to stop about 40 feet back from the intersection while people behind you honk because they want you to move up between the tracks and risk your life.

It's likely that he crossed over one set of tracks and thought that was it, not realizing there's a second set placed unusually farther away.

I don't defend his stupidity but I'm hoping people will wait patiently behind me now instead of giving me the honk and stare as they rip around me.

[Projek01]

all i have to say is, good job buddy! now the city is going to want to put flashing lights and moving arms at every section. that adds to our taxes! yay

[FiveFreshFish]

Originally posted by Projek01
all i have to say is, good job buddy! now the city is going to want to put flashing lights and moving arms at every section. that adds to our taxes! yay

I think a few more incidents will need to occur there before they do anything. If you look at the cable barriers separating the northbound and southbound lanes of Deerfoot, it took years and many crashes before they were installed.

[ZEDGE]

Originally posted by FiveFreshFish
I thought the TV news interview said he's from BC.

Thats what I heard too.

[Supa Dexta]

"Roberto Gonzalez, 31" Not really a newf name, if ya know what I'm saying.. Not the most diverse place around.

[A2VR6]

Originally posted by Supa Dexta
"Roberto Gonzalez, 31" Not really a newf name, if ya know what I'm saying.. Not the most diverse place around.

In the article Gonzalez was in the car behind the car that got hit by the train. They didnt mention the name of the driver in the car that got hit.

[Supa Dexta]

ah my bad.

[Altezza]

He should have bought a GPS for his trip.

[Grogador]

There's arms at this crossing now! Just drove by this morning, don't recall ever seeing arms there before...

[Aleks]

The plates on the car were from BC.

And ya that is one messed up interchange.

[adam c]

that interchange was/is fine, it's all about common sense, kinda like the girl who blew through the red light and got hit by the train (RIP)

don't do dumb things and you won't pay the consequences

[Grogador]

It's a bit sketchy there, can't see the tracks or the fading painted X's under the snow, and everyone is pushing to jam in there and make the light...

[adam c]

i dunno, if you can't see the 2 big gaping holes on either side of the road in the barriers and train tracks leading in and out of them, well you obviously aren't paying attention while driving and most likely shouldn't

just my 0.02

[Grogador]

Tunnel vision :nut: also... damn foreigners! ;)

[adam c]

i don't mean to sound like a jackass but seriously... it's part of driving to know your surroundings, something simple like this is common sense.. 'pulling off' to the side of a busy road where there is no place to pull over is completely retarded

i know if i'm in a city i don't know, i pay EXTRA attention to things around me

[Stealth22]

Originally posted by kenny
As stupid as the driver was for stopping on the tracks, I think the train driver was pretty damn blind too.

Ever see those safety posters they put on the trains? Says they weigh like 40 tons or something...so I would think a train needs a little more distance to stop than our cars...

[Aleks]

From what I remember riding on c-trains is: they move pretty slow and there was times when slamming on the brakes would stop them pretty quick with people flying everywhere.

[Dj_Stylz]

Originally posted by Eleanor
Too bad he wasn't killed. :thumbsdow

We really don't need stupid people like this on the planet.

:facepalm: :facepalm:

[Eleanor]

^ I know it's pretty harsh, but I hate people with no common sense. :dunno: