Personal Injury Law

St. Louis Metrolink Accident Injures Five

By Ryan Bradley, Esq.

A St. Louis metrolink train struck a vehicle on Saturday night, January 15, around 8 p.m, sending five people to the hospital and leaving the car heavily damaged. Metro officials stated there were 25 people on board the train at the time of this St. Louis train accident. Police believe the unidentified driver of the sedan got lost after crossing the southbound tracks. The driver then turned around in a rail yard and then crossed the tracks in the direct path of the Metrolink train. The St. Louis train accident occurred west of Jefferson, where the train tracks cross South Ewing. Three passengers aboard the train, as well as the driver and passenger in the sedan, were transported to the hospital, where their injuries were assessed and deemed to be non-life threatening.

Employees and others inside a Burlington-Northern trailer located near the crossing said they did not see the crash, but did hear it. They also stated they heard the warning sounds generally heard when the crossing arms come down immediately before they heard the actual crash. Because of these accounts, police believe at this time the crossing arms were operating properly. The Metrolink train accident is still under investigation to determine exactly why the car drove directly in front of the train. Although the Metrolink was shut down for a short amount of time while passengers were transferred to a bus, the accident did not cause closure of service between the Civic Center Station and West End station as was reported earlier.

Over 2,500 train versus automobile accidents occur annually, causing extensive damage to property, severe personal injury and even death. Almost half of these train accidents occur at railroad crossings where the flashing lights and arms are functioning properly, however many others occur at crossings with inadequate safety devices. While most people mistakenly believe they will hear an oncoming train and have plenty of time to avoid a crash, a freight train traveling fifty miles per hour can take well over a mile to come to a complete stop. Generally speaking, a 3000-pound car doesn?t stand much of a chance up against a train weighing several hundred tons. When a train is involved in an accident with an automobile, calling a Missouri personal injury attorney as soon as possible is imperative. Following such an accident the corporate lawyers and CEO?s of the train company generally close ranks. Make sure your rights are safeguarded with an experienced St. Louis Missouri personal injury attorney.

Full post as published by Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog on January 16, 2011 (boomark / email).