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Man Struck and Killed by Train in San Diego
http://www.latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/04/a-coaster-commuter-train-struck
The Los Angeles Times reports today that a man died Tuesday night after being struck by a train in the 1600 block of Coast Boulevard in Del Mar. The victim, whose name was not disclosed, was from the state of Washington and had been dog sitting in Del Mar.
According to the train’s engineer, the man continued to walk slowly across the train tracks even after he had sounded the horn. Although the engineer applied the brakes, the train, which extended four feet beyond the tracks on either side, clipped the man after he made it across the tracks.
At the Law Office of Renée J. Nordstrand, we work aggressively to find answers and to recover maximum compensation for clients injured in train accidents. We understand that an accident can disrupt the lives of the injured and all those involved. Although we can’t undo the pain and suffering caused by an accident, we can work towards easing the financial burden associated with it.
Contact experienced train accident attorneys today for a free consultation.
Amtrak Train Collides with Pick Up Truck in Moorpark
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/mar/01/train-hits-truck-near-moorpark/
36-year-old Joseph Tillery was killed Monday morning when the pick up truck he was driving collided with a westbound Amtrak train on Highway 118 near Hitch Boulevard at the Peach Hill Soils crossing, the Ventura County Star reports.
Tillery’s car was pushed a quarter mile down the tracks after being broadsided by the Amtrak surfliner train, which was carrying 125 passengers at the time of the crash. There were no injuries reported onboard the train.
The Peach Tree Soils crossing, which is a private railroad crossing with no signals or railroad gates, had already been scheduled to receive public funding to improve the crossing’s safety –including installing devices to warn drivers who cross the tracks of oncoming trains. According to the Ventura County Transportation Commission, two other private railroad crossings have already been improved thanks to public funding in the past five years.
This is a terrible tragedy and I offer my deepest sympathies to Mr. Tillery’s loved ones in this time of loss.
If you have lost a loved one in a train accident, I encourage you to contact compassionate, veteran personal injury and wrongful death attorneys to learn more about your legal options. Our experienced attorneys expertly determine whether another entity is responsible for your losses, and will fight to obtain compensation for funeral expenses as well as pain and suffering. Law Office of Renee J. Nordstrand offers confidential, free consultations.
Metrolink Officials Partner with Law Enforcement to Cut Down on Pedestrian and Motorist Traffic Violations on Train Tracks
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/smith-people-tracks-2636881-starr-stop
Metrolink teamed up with several Orange County Law Enforcement organizations this morning to conduct a widespread traffic citation sweep as part of the California Operation Lifesaver Program, the Orange County Register reports.
Operation Lifesaver is a national non-profit program with individual chapters in many states whose goals are education, enforcement and engineering of California’s rail-crossing stops, according to the California Operation Lifesaver website. The program often gives presentations to school groups and emergency responder organizations in addition to aiding law enforcement in conducting traffic sweeps. In this morning’s sweep, 233 citations were issued and six people were arrested for violating rail-crossing laws.
One of the most common ways that pedestrians break the law and put themselves at risk is by crossing train tracks as a short cut. This is especially dangerous because trains cannot stop quickly, and the noise emitted from a train is often heard to the side of the train tracks, not to the front. Motorists too are at risk, when they try to beat the flashing lights that signal an approaching train.
The problem of pedestrian-train and motorist-train collisions can be reduced by taking the safety precautions (and following the law) that Operation Lifesaver and Orange County law enforcement promoted today by their sweep. Please protect yourself and your loved ones by avoiding the use of train tracks as a short cut on foot and by stopping behind the flashing rail crossing lights as soon as they start to flash when driving.
Sometimes safe, law-abiding pedestrians and motorists still find themselves the victims of serious train accidents. Train accidents have a higher likelihood of resulting in serious injuries than car accidents due to their sheer size and weight. If you or someone you know has been injured in a train accident and believe that another party is responsible, please contact experienced personal injury attorneys who understand how train accidents can disrupt and damage your life and fight aggressively to recover the maximum compensation that you need to move on.