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05 September 2006
Danger train collision
As the local media stopped reporting every Danger Train collision and said number of collisions has declined somewhat from the record-breaking early days, Sudden Acceleration Syndrome has sort of taken the place of Danger Train hijinks here on the little personal blog for entertainment purposes.
Nonetheless, I forgot to mention this bit of Danger Train fun that I posted over at the hyperlocal blog.
If Rep. Culberson hadn't nixed rail down Richmond, we might have had a whole new installment of Danger Train pinball, given the amount of traffic and cross-traffic along that street. For this, the Richmond people seem very thankful.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger train collision"> 09/05/06 12:31 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
27 May 2004
DANGER TRAIN Strikes Again
Many thanks to the sharp-eyed reader, CJN, who let me know about Danger Train Accident #41.
Thank goodness my hometown (Tulsa) isn't world-class like Houston. Although I should probably do my civic duty and share the stories about the Danger Train with our local Citgo employees who are considering relocating to Houston. Our drivers have a bad enough time managing to avoid each other, without having to factor in a renegade light rail system.
And now if you'll indulge me a little Ozzy moment:
"Mental wounds not healing/
driving me insane/
I'm goin' off the rails on the danger train!"
Posted by David Hamby @ DANGER TRAIN Strikes Again"> 05/27/04 21:41 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
24 March 2004
Danger Train Bingo!
The Houston Press has printed a great little game: Danger Train Bingo!
Okay, they call it Metro Bingo, but we prefer Danger Train Bingo.
It's a PDF file, so you can print the thing and play at home. Click here to download it.
We're World Class!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train Bingo!"> 03/24/04 18:40 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (1)
04 October 2004
Danger Train: Collision #66
Today, a pedestrian tried to take out the Danger Train.
The Danger Train won:
A pedestrian was taken to a hospital Monday morning after she walked in front of a METRORail train, officials told Local 2.
Police said a METRO train in a northbound lane of Fannin near the Reliant Stadium rail stop struck a pedestrian at about 8:15 a.m. south of the station.
She was transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The train was back in service by 8:40 a.m.
That's number 66, for you kids keeping track at home.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #66"> 10/04/04 14:02 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
11 April 2005
Previously Unreported Danger Train Collisions
The Chronicle runs a list of Danger Train collisions for March today.
Some of them have not been reported by any local media, so I'll have to get the Danger Train numbers here updated later.
Thanks to the readers who have emailed the story!
(Update) KHOU-11 reports another Danger Train crash Sunday.
(Update 2) By my calculation, that makes the crash above #86.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train Collisions"> 04/11/05 07:32 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
26 August 2004
Danger Train: Collision #60
There was another Danger Train collision overnight:
Accidents keep happening for Houston's light rail train ? the latest happened in downtown Houston Wednesday.
A woman was hospitalized after driving onto the rail line just as the train came down Main Street at Pierce.
Police say she ran a red light but should be OK, but she'll probably get a ticket because eyewitnesses saw her run the red light.
This is accident number 58.
By my count, that's number 60. Maybe that should qualify the Danger Train for early retirement? :)
Here is additional coverage from the Comical
(Update) Here is coverage from KPRC-2.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #60"> 08/26/04 06:21 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (4)
20 December 2004
Danger Train: Collision #71
The Danger Train suffered collision #71 last week:
MetroRail was ready to set a new safety record Wednesday. But before morning rush could come to a close, another car ran into a train.
Last week's crash marked the second time in a row the Metropolitan Transit Authority tallied 26 days without a train being struck by a vehicle or pedestrian.
The latest incident occurred about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday when a car driven by a 19-year-old Houston man hit a southbound train at Main and Jefferson downtown while attempting to make a left turn.
[snip]
This was the 62nd train collision reported by Metro this year involving an injury or at least $1,000 in property damage.
The Comical goes to absurd lengths to avoid reporting the documented number of times the Danger Train has collided with a person, wheelchair, or vehicle, which is actually 71 at this point.
It's unclear why the newspaper waited nearly a week to report the latest collision.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #71"> 12/20/04 20:09 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (2)
08 January 2005
Danger Train: Collision #73 (1)
We've had our first reported Danger Train collision of 2005:
The new year has brought a new accident involving Houston's light rail.
A driver ran a red light last night on Main and Gray downtown. The train hit that vehicle. Two people in the car and one person on the train were treated at a nearby hospital. Police ticketed the driver.
That's the 73rd documented collision between the Danger Train and a vehicle/person/wheelchair. Since it's the first of 2005, I'll start including that number in the subject heading as well, since local media have a lot of trouble keeping count of these things.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #73 (1)"> 01/08/05 10:39 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
30 December 2004
Danger Train: Collision #72
Further to the last post, there was indeed a Danger Train collision earlier, as reported by KTRK-13.
That's Collision #72, and comes just as the LAST collision update rolled off the front page of the weblog.
Thanks to Anne for finding the first local story!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #72"> 12/30/04 17:57 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (1)
16 March 2005
Danger Train: Collision #80 (8)
The Danger Train suffered another collision today:
A vehicle collided with a METRORail train Wednesday afternoon in the Texas Medical Center, officials told Local 2.
Witnesses said that the car's driver turned in front of the light-rail train on Fannin at Dryden at about 3:25 p.m.
No one inside the train was injured. One person inside the vehicle received minor injuries.
The accident is under investigation.
We are world class!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #80 (8)"> 03/16/05 19:23 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (3)
08 February 2008
Danger Train hits, drags cyclist
A bicyclist rode into the Danger Train today, and was dragged 50 feet.
I don't think this sort of thing happens nearly so often in cities that segregate their rail lines from busy streets.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train hits, drags cyclist"> 02/08/08 22:41 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (1)
12 September 2007
Best Danger Train Near-Miss EVER!
Around lunchtime today, I was headed westbound in Midtown and was stopped at Main.
The lights have been out of sync for a few days, which means I've seen the train stuck and waiting in traffic for the "go" signal several times.
Today, the train was waiting well behind the crossing, headed in the direction of the Med Center (putting it to my right).
A beat up work truck was on the far right side of the train also on Main, pulled further up in the intersection, also headed towards the Med Center.
The second the traffic on Main got the green, the driver of the work truck floored it, cut in front of the train, and flipped an illegal u-turn back onto main, headed towards downtown.
The train had barely started inching forward. If it had taken off when it got its signal, that truck would have been in some kind of difficulty.
I know Houston drivers are horrible (and despite the fun I have with the "Danger Train" I do concede that driver error is mostly responsible for the crazy number of Danger Train incidents, even though aspects of the design contribute to the poor safety record), but THAT maneuver is just about tops of things I have personally witnessed.
Wow.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train Near-Miss EVER!"> 09/12/07 14:19 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (3)
07 April 2004
Danger Train: Collision #33
The Danger Train suffered another collision today:
METRO's light rail system racked up another accident statistic Wednesday.We really are world class, you know?A train hit a car that turned right into its path. It happened this afternoon at the intersection of Fannin and John Freeman in the medical center. The woman was ticketed for making an illegal left turn.
Train service was only disrupted for about seven minutes. No one was seriously hurt in the accident.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #33"> 04/07/04 17:53 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
20 November 2004
Danger Train: Collision #70
The Chron is reporting that a Danger Train collision took place on Thursday morning.
It's unclear why it took until Saturday to report the crash.
It's also unclear how the Chron comes up with its figures for crashes, but that was the 70th collision that we know about between a Metro train and a vehicle or person.
We are world class!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #70"> 11/20/04 13:46 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
13 February 2005
Danger Train: Collision #79 (7)
The Danger Train suffered known collision #79 (7) yesterday:
A METRO light rail train is back in service Sunday morning after colliding with a car.
It happened around 3pm on Oakdale at Fannin. The driver had just bought flowers at a flower shop when police say he drove into the train.
No one was injured in the accident. The driver was cited for failing to stop at a rail crossing.
Reports of a collision on February 3 have not been confirmed, so we'll call this one #79 for now.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #79 (7)"> 02/13/05 12:00 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
27 January 2006
Danger Train Collision?
KSEV-700 is reporting a Danger Train collision this morning.
The Danger Trains were running when I crossed at Elgin earlier.
This is shaping up to be a World Class Friday!
UPDATE: Laurence Simon has more on the collision. That's more reporting than any media outlet in town has posted to the web. Why cover this stuff when there is inane babbling about Houston 1836 or Vince Young dominating the news cycle, right?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train Collision?"> 01/27/06 07:37 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (2)
22 October 2004
Danger Train: Collision #69
KPRC-2 is reporting the latest Danger Train incident:
A driver ran a red light and hit a METRORail light-rail train Friday afternoon, police told Local 2.
Investigators said the motorist was traveling eastbound on Jefferson at Main shortly before 5 p.m. when she hit the train.No one was injured.
Police said the driver will be ticketed.
It was the 64th accident involving METRORail.
Actually, by our count, it's number 69, a number that only reaffirms that WE ARE WORLD CLASS!!!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #69"> 10/22/04 18:23 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (5)
03 April 2004
Danger Train: Collision #32
The Danger Train experienced collision #32 last night:
Accident number 32 for METRO's light rail happened Friday night.We're world class!Police say a driver ran a red light at St. Joseph and Main about 7pm. That's when she was hit by a METRO train.
No one was hurt in the crash, but police ticketed the driver.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #32"> 04/03/04 09:19 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
20 August 2004
Danger Train: Collision #57
The Danger Train suffered collision #57 last night:
The Main Street line recorded its 56th accident Thursday when a driver ran a red light at Main and Gray and struck a train.
Our count is 57. METRO counts one collision with a pedestrian as a "suicide attempt."
Nice, in-depth, one-sentence coverage there. Maybe the tv stations will pick it up.
(Update) A tip suggests there may have been a crash at Main and Jefferson last night. Anybody know anything about this? Leave a comment if so.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #57"> 08/20/04 06:28 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
24 August 2004
Danger Train: Collision #59
KPRC-2 reports the latest Danger Train collision:
A car collided with a METRORail train Tuesday morning, raising the number of accidents since the light-rail system's inception to 57, Local 2 reported.
The accident happened at McGregor and Fannin just before 8 a.m. Emergency workers quickly cleared the scene.
Investigators have not said who or what caused the accident.
No injuries were reported.
By my unofficial count, that's collision #59, not 57.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #59"> 08/24/04 10:29 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (2)
10 March 2008
Idiot driver taunts Danger Train
Here's a fun photo I snapped earlier with my cameraphone:
I'm in the Jeep, headed east on Elgin at Main.
The pickup driver is making an illegal left turn headed southbound on Main. He is sitting on TWO Danger Train tracks as he waits for traffic to clear (in the rain) so that he can make his illegal turn.
Sadly, the Danger Train was nowhere to be found. I was all set to document the collision!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train"> 03/10/08 20:19 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (2)
23 March 2004
Danger Train: Collision #27
The Danger Train suffered its 27th accident yesterday.
The news is tucked away in the Comical:
A motorist suffered minor injuries Monday when her vehicle struck a MetroRail train, the 27th traffic accident involving the city's light rail system.Oops.Kim Pham was cited by Metro police for failing to stop for the railroad gate at Main and Wheeler about 9:30 a.m. Officials said her vehicle scratched the train after she drove onto the tracks.
Pham was treated at Christus St. Joseph Hospital.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #27"> 03/23/04 08:17 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
11 January 2005
Danger Train: Collision #74 (2)
KTRH-740 is reporting a Danger Train collision in the medical center, with four injuries.
No linkable news outlets are reporting this incident thus far.
The sneaky Danger Train tried to pull this off while I was heading to the gym, but few traffic incidents get past KTRH.
(01-12-2005 Update) KTRK-13 posts this story about the incident (hat tip to Callie, who posted this in the comments), and our ever vigilant light rail accident chronicler John Gaver alerts us to this Seattle PI story that references our little tram.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #74 (2)"> 01/11/05 17:11 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (4)
02 August 2004
Danger Train: Collision #54
Two people were hospitalized today as a result of the latest Danger Train collision:
Two people were hospitalized after the van they were riding in collided with a light rail car in the Medical Center.
It happened shortly after 10am Monday at the intersection of Fannin and University. METRO says the car made a left turn right in front of the light rail car.
There's no word on how serious any of the injuries are.
KTRK-13 does not give a count, but by my count, that is number 54.
KHOU-11 reports that a man was arrested for arguing with police at the scene, but that they could not determine if the argument was related to the accident.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #54"> 08/02/04 18:33 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (1)
03 March 2004
Danger Train: Collision #22
Collisions with the Danger Train are coming fast and furious now:
A car collided with a MetroRail train Wednesday afternoon, the 22nd accident since the train began operating in November, but officials said there were no reports of injuries.Nice.The car ran a red light about 4:30 p.m. and struck the train on southbound Fannin at Rosedale, officials said.
The extent of the damage to the train was unknown and no other information was immediately available.
A Metro spokesman said the line was expected to be cleared "very quickly."
(Update) KHOU-11 describes the incident:
In the latest crash witnesses say a driver stopped at a red light at Fannin and Rosedale, but the nose of his car was sticking out at the crossing and it got smacked by a train.Brilliant.There were no injuries, except to the vehicles involved.
METRO tells KHOU-11 that the cost of these incidents so far (minus today's) is $600,000.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #22"> 03/03/04 17:58 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (1)
03 June 2004
Danger Train: Collision #42
The Danger Train strikes again:
A Houston man was ticketed this week after his Mercedes-Benz and a Metropolitan Transit Authority light rail train collided in the Museum District, Metro police reported.
The car was westbound on Rosedale about 7 p.m. Monday and failed to stop at the proper distance from the track along Fannin as the southbound train passed, Metro said. There were no injuries and the car was not towed, the report said.
It was the 42nd collision involving a MetroRail train since the rail line began test operations in October.
Failed to stop at the proper distance from the track?
No, kids, there are no safety design issues with this puppy.
It's all the fault of the drivers. Because METRO says so, and when Big Brother says something, we should all believe it.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #42"> 06/03/04 09:35 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (5)
28 January 2007
Danger Train collision
Driver hurt in Metro Rail crash (KHOU-11 news)
A car crashed into a Metro Rail train Friday afternoon at Main and Pierce in downtown Houston.
Two women, one pushing the other in a wheelchair, nearly became victims too.
"We were right here, right here. I looked over and just saw his truck flying in the middle of the street," said Heather MacQueen.
"Then that hit and stuff was flying everywhere," said Debra Johnson, who was pushing MacQueen's wheelchair. "If that pole hadn't been there he would have hit us."
The women were hit by debris, but not seriously hurt.
The local media have grown bored with covering Danger Train collisions, so we do not often get to post these sorts of updates any more. Thankfully, the Danger Train did not take out another wheelchair, as it has done in the past.
This is what can happen when your transit authority builds rail lines at grade down busy roads as if they are trolleys, instead of segregrating them from motor traffic like "world-class" cities do.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train collision"> 01/28/07 21:55 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
22 June 2004
Danger Train: Collision #47
The Danger Train just keeps the hits coming of late:
A Tuesday afternoon wreck marks accident number 47 for METRO's light rail.
It happened at the intersection of Alabama and Main just after 4pm. Details of the collision are not yet clear. An ambulance is on the scene, but there's no word if anyone has been injured.
That intersection is a busy one.
I keep hoping I'll be taking in a show at the Continental Club and get to see a train collision as a bonus, but it hasn't happened yet.
(Update) ABC-13 has already updated the original story:
The train was traveling southbound on Main when a westbound motorist apparently ran the red light on Alabama.
The driver of the vehicle hit by the train was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital. There is no word on the extent of his injuries. He will be ticketed for running a red light.
We are world class.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #47"> 06/22/04 17:33 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
06 June 2005
Danger Train Update
It turns out that METRO hasn't been the most forthcoming public transit agency about recent Danger Train crashes.
Thanks to the work of Tom Bazan, who filed Texas public information requests with METRO, we now know of three Danger Train collisions that were previously undocumented here and at Gaver's site, bringing the grand total to 92 total, 20 this year, with 1 fatality this year, or 92 (20) (1) for short.
I think.
According to the METRO document, the collisions were on 4-2-2005 (Main and Pease), 5-9-2005 (Fannin and Dryden), and 5-16-2005 (Main and McGowen).
Interestingly, some incidents reported here and on Gaver's site are not listed in the METRO documents, giving these two sites a more accurate count than is possessed even by METRO.
How's that for world class?!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train Update"> 06/06/05 22:26 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
28 January 2008
Danger Train takes out Med Center driver
Metro train hits car making illegal turn onto Fannin (Houston Chronicle)
Police are investigating an accident at the Texas Medical Center today involving a Metropolitan Transit Authority light rail train, officials said.
According to preliminary information, the light rail train struck the car about 12:20 p.m. after the driver made an illegal left turn from John Freeman onto Fannin, authorities said.
There were no reported injuries, Metro officials said.
Drivers still haven't learned to watch out for the Danger Train!
It is going to be fun when drivers start running into the thing along the much busier Westpark Richmond line.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train takes out Med Center driver"> 01/28/08 19:35 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (1)
29 July 2004
Danger Train: Collision #52
There's been another collision with the Danger Train:
Houston police say they will ticket the man behind the wheel of a car grazed by a light rail train, Wednesday night.
Officers say the man made an illegal left turn in front of the train and just about lost his bumper in the process. Officially, there have now been 51 accidents involving light rail trains. METRO doesn't count one collision which police determined was a suicide attempt.
At PubliusTX.net, we do count that one. As Laurence Simon put it, every trip near the Danger Train is a suicide attempt, so there's no real reason to distinguish that one from the others.
I love this coverage. The car was "grazed" by the train, and the car "just about lost [its] bumper."
As Dave Ward might ask (if he were paying attention to his teleprompter), so which was it? One doesn't describe the other.
Despite a full-time traffic-beat columnist, the Comical seems not yet to have reported this crash.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #52"> 07/29/04 09:19 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
26 January 2005
Danger Train: Collision #75 (3)
KPRC-2 is reporting a Danger Train collision:
Two METRORail riders were injured Wednesday morning when the train they were riding collided with a passenger car in southwest Houston.
The collision occurred at 10:03 a.m. at Fannin and Hermann Drive, near the Museum District Fountains.
Police have not said who is responsible for the collision.
The victims were transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital. Their conditions have not been released.
It's hard to believe Metro police chief Tom Lambert didn't waddle himself out to denounce Houston drivers for being unsafe. Maybe he was having breakfast.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #75 (3)"> 01/26/05 12:14 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (1)
13 December 2004
A Few Metro Observations
Danger Train boardings are down 10%.
The Danger Train "transit backbone" just suffered more down time due to a power line problem, this time stranding some Texans fans.
Tom Bazan has noted that October bus ridership was down 15% from one year ago (following route eliminations and Park and Ride closures).
Metro is running a massive budget deficit, for the first time.
Come on kids, I know you can all say it together with me:
[Read More]Posted by Kevin Whited @ 12/13/04 22:14 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (1)
10 February 2005
Danger Train: Collision #78
KHOU-11 follows up on earlier radio reports with coverage of the latest Danger Train collision:
A Metro light rail train collided with a van Thursday afternoon near Fannin and University. Two people were aboard the van, when the vehicle was pinned against a nearby light pole.
A van was pinned to a light pole after it was struck by a Metro light rail train.
The condition of the two people aboard the van is unknown, although several ambulances were called to the scene. The woman was transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital with multiple broken bones. The male driver of the van was also transported. Neither were said to have life-threatening injuries.
There was no immediate word of injuries aboard the light rail train.
That's either collision #78 or #79, as an earlier collision that made radio reports on February 3 has not yet been verified by Metro or a linkable story.
(Update) KPRC-2 reports that the vehicle struck by the Danger Train was a "handicap van."
I'll fill in the numbers at some point later if I get confirmation of the February 3 collision.
KTRK-13 reports that the vehicle struck by the Danger Train was a "private ambulance."
(02-13-2005 Update) I've not found any confirmation of the alleged February 3 collision, so I'm going to disregard that report unless someone finds confirmation.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #78"> 02/10/05 18:50 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (2)
22 March 2005
Danger Train: Collision #81 (9)
Friend Steve Casburn emails that he was on the Danger Train at Main and Capitol about 12:20 pm today when it suffered a collision.
From Steve's email:
The car that was hit was a red subcompact. It appeared to have been travelling perpendicular to the train when it was hit. The train hit it in its driver's-side rear-quarter panel, and spun the car about 90 degrees.
I didn't see the accident as it happened, so I couldn't say who was at fault.
Steve reports that he is fine, and the person hit appeared to be fine.
I don't see any reports of this collision on the new sites yet, but I'll link them when/if they appear.
(Update) KTRK-13 reports on the accident. As they say, "accidents do happen."
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #81 (9)"> 03/22/05 13:06 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
10 March 2007
Danger Train collision!
We don't get to have as much fun with Danger Train collisions these days, since the numbers have gone down some and the media rarely reports the collisions that still occur, but here's a rare report nonetheless from KHOU-11:
A woman and her infant were taken to the hospital after her SUV collided with a Metro light rail train. A Metro spokesman said the woman ran a red light causing the accident.The collision occurred at the intersection of Main and Bell just before 4 p.m. Thursday. The unidentified woman and her infant were taken by ambulance to St. Luke’s Hospital with minor injuries.
Metro said the woman will be cited for running a red light.
Nothing quite says "world class" like running your "transit backbone" trolley system down busy streets to play bumper cars with bad Houston drivers.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train collision!"> 03/10/07 14:04 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
23 July 2004
Danger Train: Collision #51
The Danger Train suffered collision #51 yesterday:
No one was injured in a collision between a MetroRail train and a sport utility vehicle near Reliant Park on Thursday.
The train and SUV were northbound on Fannin when the SUV driver turned left at Holly Hall across the tracks, a Metropolitan Transit Authority spokesman said. The SUV driver was ticketed for an illegal turn.
Although the accident was the 51st between a light rail train and a vehicle or pedestrian since testing of the line began last fall, Metro is counting it as No. 50 because Houston police have determined that a July 8 collision downtown was an attempted suicide.
That bolded part is mighty interesting.
METRO should really hire Iraq's former information minister. That guy at least provided some entertainment with his incredible spinning.
One can't help but wonder how many minor collisions (no downtime for the system) have gone unreported and uncounted by METRO.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #51"> 07/23/04 09:19 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (3)
27 February 2004
Danger!
The Danger Train suffered another collision with traffic today:
Another light rail accident -- the second this week.Here is coverage from KPRC-2 and KHOU-11. KHOU-11 also has a slideshow of the festivities.It appears a car turned in front of a train on Fannin near Hermann Drive. It happened around 10:30am. The driver, a woman, was injured and taken to the hospital. No one on the train was hurt.
This is the 19th light rail accident since training runs started running in October.
(Update) Well, kids, when I first posted the link to ABC-13's coverage earlier, there had only been one accident. They've updated the story, and it turns out there have been two traffic/train collisions today. It's early yet, maybe we can go for the Hat Trick?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger!"> 02/27/04 12:50 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (4)
15 September 2004
Danger Train: Collision #61
The Danger Train has suffered Collision #61:
Police say a suspected drunk man could have gotten himself killed overnight when he walked in front of a light rail train in downtown Houston.
Officers say the man just walked right in front of an oncoming train on Main near Lamar. Authorities say if the engineer had not slowed down, the man could have been killed. Instead, he suffered minor injuries and was taken to Ben Taub Hospital.
Granted, the man was apparently drunk and ran into the train, but since Metro always insists no collision is ever the fault of the train, we'll just stick to noting the collisions and let readers decide fault.
We report, you decide.
(Update) KHOU-11 has a blurb here, and KPRC-2 has a report here.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #61"> 09/15/04 07:35 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (1)
09 June 2004
Danger Train: Collision #44
Just when you think Houstonians are finally steering clear of the Danger Train....
* CRASH *
The Danger Train ramps up again. Yesterday was #44:
For the second time in as many days there has been a collision between METRO's light rail line and a car.
Mike Villarreal says he was driving east on Pierce and had the green light as he drove across the tracks on Main. That's when the train hit him. Villarreal says he has two other witnesses who also say he had the green light.
METRO officers on the scene did not talk, but the accident is under investigation. This is the 44th accident since the trains began running at the beginning of the year.
It's entirely possible the light was green. It's also worth recalling that METRO doesn't view such dangerous situations as a problem.
More coverage from KHOU-11 and KPRC-2, and of course there's always the invaluable Wham-Bam-Tram Ram counter.
We're world class!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #44"> 06/09/04 06:38 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (1)
10 October 2004
Danger Train: Collision #68
Danger Train collision #68 is "olds" rather than news at this point, but since I only mentioned it in passing while in Galveston, I thought I'd put up the news blurb (from KHOU-11):
A METRO rail car has to be repaired after yet another accident. The 64th incident occurred Friday at Main at Franklin in downtown Houston, and happened much like the others.
A woman driving a Buick south on Main tried to make an illegal left turn on Franklin -- right into the path of the train.
No one was hurt, but the woman's car and the train were damaged. The woman was ticketed for the accident.
Even though it happened a few days ago, I'm still feeling world class.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #68"> 10/10/04 14:43 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
15 March 2004
Danger Train: Collision #25?
The Danger Train suffered another collision with traffic today.
Only KHOU-11 is reporting the accident at the moment. I put the question mark after the wreck count above because it's been quiet for a while, and the last time it was so quiet, it turned out that a number of accidents had gone unreported by our crack local media (although METRO had the numbers).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #25?"> 03/15/04 18:04 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (3)
08 July 2004
Danger Train: Collision #49
The Danger Train took out a pedestrian just a little while ago:
A METRO light-rail train was involved in an accident with a pedestrian Thursday evening, News2Houston reported.
METRORail Train Accident With Pedestrian
The pedestrian was hit at the intersection of Main and Rusk around 5:20 p.m.
Witnesses said the man, who looked like he was intoxicated, stepped in front of the train as it approached.
He was pinned under the train when paramedics arrived.
He was taken to Ben Taub Hospital, where he's listed in critical condition.
The accident shut down Main Street in both directions and temporarily halted the rail line.
The Comical's Lucas Wall has the gruesome details:
Witnesses said the man was crossing main between Rusk and Walker when he stepped onto the landscaped esplanade in the center of the street and then into the path of the northbound train.
One witness, Freddy Terrazas, said he was waiting to cross the street at Rusk when he saw the man struck by the train, hit his head on the pavement and get dragged couple of yards underneath the 98,000 pound light rail. Terrazas said the train was moving slowly was beeping its horn.
Live television reports suggest the man was homeless and drunk.
Will we have to start calling it the Death Train? Stay tuned.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #49"> 07/08/04 18:34 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (2)
10 August 2004
Buses Running The Rail Line?
Rich Connelly has previously noted the Houston Texans' plans to eliminate park-and-ride shuttles so people can be herded onto the Danger Train.
But it seems that METRO is prepared in case the inefficient little Danger Train needs some help:
Connaughton adds that the Texans "have contracted with Metro to have buses standing by at Reliant Park so if there are too many people at one time for the train to handle, buses will run parallel service taking them back to their cars along the rail line."
It's good that METRO still has buses for when the Danger Train is inadequate, eh?
It would be even better if the park-and-ride lots were their destination.
(Update) Rob Booth notes that Lucas Wall took quotes for this story from a METRO press release. Since Wall doesn't mention that, it gives the impression that he was actually out hustling up news. Nice, huh?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/10/04 06:28 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (2)
04 January 2006
Danger Train Collision (With Blind Man)!
Laurence Simon alerted me to this collision with the Danger Train today:
A man was transported to the hospital with head injuries this morning after he was struck by a light rail train downtown, Metro officials said.
The victim, whose condition is unknown, was conscious and breathing after the accident, said Metro spokesman George Smalley. He was taken to Ben Taub Hospital.
The accident occurred near the intersection of Lamar and Main at 11:45 a.m. Three eyewitnesses told police they saw the man "walk in front of the train," Smalley said.
The man was walking northbound on the west side of Main and would have had to turn or walk to his right to get in the way of the train, which was headed southbound, Smalley said.
That's gotta sting.
Oh, and did I mention that the man struck by the train was blind?
A world-class celebration on Braille's Birthday, no? (Thanks to Laurence for making that connection).
Also, there was a Danger Train collision while I was hiking in the Ouachitas around Christmas that Anne blogged about on bH but that I never mentioned here. The collision actually derailed the Danger Train, making the streets safe for a short time. Emergency personnel treated it as a "mass casualty event" and several people were hospitalized (none of them died, so far as I know).
I cross that intersection (Elgin) every morning, and you better believe I look both ways and don't cross on green unless I'm sure the Danger Train is nowhere in sight. I've seen the operators speeding through that intersection, and I frankly don't trust them to stop if they have the stop light (they are never supposed to have the stop light, according to METRO, but I see it regularly).
I've completely lost count of the collisions, since METRO and local media aren't very good about getting these things reported.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train Collision (With Blind Man)!"> 01/04/06 13:44 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (3)
07 June 2004
Danger Train: Collision #43
There was another Danger Train collision today:
There was another METRO light rail accident in the Medical Center.
It happened Monday morning on Fannin and John Freeman. This makes it the 42nd accident since the rail line was launched.
The vehicle was traveling northbound on Fannin and made an illegal U-turn. The train barely struck the vehicle. More than likely the driver will be cited.
No one was injured.
ABC-13 is wrong. The 42nd accident happened several days ago. This was actually #43.
It's hard to keep up.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #43"> 06/07/04 18:10 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (1)
02 March 2004
The Danger Train In Spanish
Rob Booth found that great image above. The accompanying story in spanish is here.
I love it.
(03-03-2004 Update) Owen has simplified the article. :)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train In Spanish"> 03/02/04 22:59 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (6)
28 January 2005
Danger Train: Collision #77 (5)
There was actually a second Danger Train collision yesterday, at Fannin & Rosedale.
Don Gallagher, moderator of the Houston MET yahoo group, noted this in a post.
Although no stories have been posted to link to, John Gaver confirmed the crash with Metro and KPRC-2.
Two crashes in one day seems pretty World Class to me!
That takes us to five for the year/month, and 77 overall (documented).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #77 (5)"> 01/28/05 12:00 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (4)
27 January 2005
Danger Train: Collision #76 (4)
KHOU-11 reports the second Danger Train collision in two days:
Two more Metro light rail passengers were injured Thursday in the second accident in as many days.
This one happened near Fannin and MacGregor in the Texas Medical Center.
Investigators say the driver of a car tried to make a turn and the train hit it.
The driver refused to go the hospital. But two passengers on board the train were taken to Ben Taub.
Two other light rail passengers were injured in a similar accident Wednesday just a few blocks away.
The train hit it?
KHOU-11 must not be following the stylebook used at the Chronicle. The Chronicle always refers to cars striking the train, no matter how inanely inaccurate the reference is.
(01-28-2005 Update): The moderator of the Houston MET Yahoo group posts that he heard reports of TWO accidents yesterday. When/if a story appears online, I'll add a new post.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger Train: Collision #76 (4)"> 01/27/05 22:36 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (1)
20 March 2004
Danger
We decided to stay in town and just spent much of the afternoon walking the museum district. We just survived my first trip on the Danger Train to downtown, where we are now at Kaveh Kanes wirelessly posting this via the Tungsten. Too cool.
It will shortly be time to move on to La Carafe for a colder brew.
What a beautiful day.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Danger"> 03/20/04 16:34 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (3)
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