The Tracks Tragedy

In New York, on December 1st, a train containing approximately 150 passengers derailed causing the death of 4 people and wounding many others. The train, traveling through the Bronx derailed as it was turning a corner at 7:20 in the morning, about 10 miles north of Manhattan’s Grand Central Terminal. All 7 passenger cars went “twisting and turning” says New York Fire Department Chief Edward Kilduff. 3 out of the four that died were thrown from the car as it crossed the opposite track and rolled down a nearby hill. The train was 74 miles up the Hudson River when it left the tracks.  One car finally came to a stop about 10 feet from the Harlem River.

This terrible crash threatened the lives of many people. It is frightening to think of the how much worse this could have been.  So many people rely on the train as their primary method of commuting to work.  The article discusses the plans to examine all aspects of the situation from the track condition, to crew performance and even look for any video evidence that could help to explain what caused the crash and hopefully make the changes to prevent this situation in the future.  People sometimes are blinded to their everyday routine, such as their work commute, and it is not until a tragedy such as this that we re-examine the need for the most up to date safety features to protect the millions of passengers who travel every year.

~Karly

One thought on “The Tracks Tragedy

  1. I like how you went in depth into the death toll and the details of when and where their train accident occurred. I agree with you that anything can go wrong, even something that you experience on a daily basis (like riding a train to work,etc.)

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