Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Vitaliy on August 1, 2014 at 4:00pm

How?

Permalink Reply by Not too hip on August 1, 2014 at 4:23pm

Is it disrespectful to ask how?

Permalink Reply by Jonathan Quist on August 1, 2014 at 5:22pm

What Jeff said.

This is a tragedy without a doubt.

It would be a greater tragedy if the same thing happens to someone else who had a missed opportunity to learn from the first.

And to be blunt, if I end my life as a locomotive hood ornament and none of you asks WTF?, I'll come back from the dead and let air out of your tires, mix water in your chain lube and haunt your dreams until you wet your bed.

I don't know the victim of this accident, I don't know any of the details of what happened, but I do know that Metra trains don't pop up from behind bushes. Sadly, rider error was likely involved, and we lost a member of our extended community. I choose to show my respect by being more careful tomorrow morning when I cross the UP-NW tracks around 6:45. And if I learn anything about the cause of the accident, I'll modify my behaviour as appropriate.

Permalink Reply by Matt M. 18.5KM on August 1, 2014 at 5:34pm

Here's the story in the Chicago Sun-Times.  I've never liked the Cumberland Metra stop.  Getting across the Northwest Highway, especially during the winter, is rather a game of fucking "Frogger" for those running to catch a departing train.  This area of Des Plaines can be tough to navigate for cyclists because of high speed traffic and no bike lanes. 

Permalink Reply by Michelle Milham on August 4, 2014 at 3:55am

There's really not an "easy" to navigate part of DP except for in the neighborhoods on the indirect bike paths. 

Matt M. 18.5KM said:

Here's the story in the Chicago Sun-Times.  I've never liked the Cumberland Metra stop.  Getting across the Northwest Highway, especially during the winter, is rather a game of fucking "Frogger" for those running to catch a departing train.  This area of Des Plaines can be tough to navigate for cyclists because of high speed traffic and no bike lanes. 

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on August 4, 2014 at 6:04am

For those not familiar with that section of the UP-NW, that area is triple track. There has been more than one crash in triple track areas (UP-NW, BNSF, etc.) where someone walked around the back end of a stopped train on the near track and got hit by an express running on the center track, which they did not see because their view was blocked by the stopped train.  

Howard brings up a good point about Trish Quane's unfortunate death.  Sometimes the victim dies due to incorrect information or being waved across by another person.   The general public often gets only a portion of the facts about the circumstances of any crash.

h' 1.0 said:

Those who remember Trish Quane would caution to not be so quick to assume error on the part of the victim.

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on August 4, 2014 at 7:28am

I agree I think it would be good to know the details to learn from this tragic situation, especially in light of Anne's and Matt's comment above. 

May she rest in peace and condolences to the family. Just awful. 

Permalink Reply by Matt M. 18.5KM on August 4, 2014 at 3:07pm

Quite. :-(

Julie Hochstadter said:

I agree I think it would be good to know the details to learn from this tragic situation, especially in light of Anne's and Matt's comment above. 

May she rest in peace and condolences to the family. Just awful. 

Permalink Reply by Mark on August 4, 2014 at 4:19pm

She rode around the gates, with the bells ringing, and lights flashing. I know this for a fact.  As harsh as it may sound, since she ignored the safety flashers, the bells, and the gates, and rode past them, there is no assumption she was in error.  She WAS!  The "Victim" was the poor guy who had to watch her do it, The engineer.

The lesson in this is simple. STOP! When the gates come down, Just F'in STOP! Your life, Your job, Your workout, whatever you are in such a hurry over, is NOT worth losing your life. Do NOT trust someone waving, Do NOT think you can just sneak around because the train is just sitting there.  Just STOP!!! WAIT for the train to leave, the gates to go back up, and the flashers to stop.  Your life could depend on it.

I feel horrible for the people that she left behind, I am sure her family misses her, and everyone mourns her departure.  PLEASE people.  Learn from this. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!!!  Stop, wait.  I beg you. 

h' 1.0 said:

Those who remember Trish Quane would caution to not be so quick to assume error on the part of the victim.
 
Jonathan Quist said:

What Jeff said.

This is a tragedy without a doubt.

It would be a greater tragedy if the same thing happens to someone else who had a missed opportunity to learn from the first.

And to be blunt, if I end my life as a locomotive hood ornament and none of you asks WTF?, I'll come back from the dead and let air out of your tires, mix water in your chain lube and haunt your dreams until you wet your bed.

I don't know the victim of this accident, I don't know any of the details of what happened, but I do know that Metra trains don't pop up from behind bushes. Sadly, rider error was likely involved, and we lost a member of our extended community. I choose to show my respect by being more careful tomorrow morning when I cross the UP-NW tracks around 6:45. And if I learn anything about the cause of the accident, I'll modify my behaviour as appropriate.