Article: Woman survives train crash

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Woman survives train crash

Woman survives train crash
Marissa Calligeros | February 18, 2009 - 7:06AM

A woman has suffered only minor injuries after her car was dragged by a train for several hundred metres in Cairns last night.

The 33-year-old woman was travelling in a sedan when it collided with a freight train at a level crossing at the intersection of the Bruce Highway and Coombe Street in the suburb of White Rock about 7.35pm.

It is understood the locomotive struck the passenger side of the car, which became wedged under the train and was pushed forward.

"It appears as though the car has been dragged several hundred metres," a police spokesman said.

It was estimated the car travelled 200-300 metres before coming to a stop.

The woman suffered minor neck and pelvic injuries and was taken to Cairns Hospital.

The level crossing at the intersection of Coombes Street and the Pacific Highway, White Rock, had flashing lights and warning signs, though no boom gates, a spokeswoman for Queensland Rail told AAP.

Anecdotal evidence indicated the lights were functioning when the crash occurred at 7.35pm on Tuesday, police said.

The incident is the latest in a spate of level crossing smashes in the region.

On New Year's Day, a truck driver was killed when his garbage truck was hit by a train on a level crossing at Mundoo, near Innisfail.

Two tilt train drivers died at Cardwell, 100 kilometres south of Innisfail, in November.

Queensland Transport Minister John Mickel has said 50 per cent of level crossing collisions occurred at crossings with boom gates or flashing lights.

- with AAP

[mufreight]

Another driver not obeying the road rules and obviously no attention to what she was doing, fortunately she has survived but she could so easily have become another fatality, lets hope that QR seeks full recovery of all costs arising as a consequence of this incident and that the driver is charged for dangerous driving then perhaps the thought of considerable hip pocket pain and the inconvenience of loss of licence might get the attention of the areas locals.
Unfortunately it seems obvious that recent events and the QR media level crossing safety campaign have not raised the awareness of many and in this case the crossing was protected by a warning system (flashing lights) so what does it take to protect these people and the community from their stupidity.

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Woman survives after car dragged down railway tracks by train


http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,6491459,00.jpg

The driver of this car is lucky to be alive after it was dragged several hundred metres along the tracks following a collision at a level crossing in Cairns. Pic: Nellie Ireland
More pictures / Cairns Post

Woman survives after car dragged down railway tracks by train
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Leanne Edmistone

February 18, 2009 06:25am

A WOMAN is lucky to be alive after her car was dragged several hundred metres after colliding with a train at a level crossing in Cairns.
Police said the accident happened about 7.35pm Tuesday when the woman's car and the locomotive train collide at a level crossing at the intersection of the Bruce Highway and Coombes St, White Rock.

Police said it appears the woman's car was dragged 300 metres before stopping.

The 33-year-old woman was taken to hospital with minor injuries. No-one on the train was injured.

The scene was cleared quickly and the train continued on its journey.

See more pictures at The Cairns Post

A veteran of many serious crashes, Far Northern Region traffic co-ordinator Insp Bob Waters told The Cairns Post at the scene last night he was stunned the crash had not ended in a fatality.

"Miraculously, the driver of the vehicle who was a young woman who has relatively minor injuries," he said.

"It is a miracle nobody was killed here, especially if there had have been a passenger or people in the rear of the vehicle, the circumstances could have been much greater."

A Queensland Rail spokewoman said the train was a northbound Pacific National freight train, owned and operated by private Asciano company, heading into Cairns.

She said the level crossing was protected by flashing lights and railway warning signs. There were no boom gates.

The spokeswoman said the incident would be investigated by Queensland Rail.

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
18/02/2009

Level crossing collision highlights the need for ongoing vigilance.

Last night's level crossing collision between a freight train and a car highlights the need for motorists to be on heightened alert when entering rail crossings, Transport Minister John Mickel said today.

Mr Mickel said the collision reinforced the message that everyone needed to be especially vigilant when using level crossings.

"This collision demonstrates once again that level crossings are inherently dangerous and need to be approached with particular caution.

"I urge all motorists to remember that every time they turn on the ignition they must turn on their attention," said Mr Mickel.


The cause of the collision, including the operation of the flashing lights, will be fully investigated to determine exactly what happened.

In this instance, the level crossing had flashing lights and signs, and initial reports indicate that the lights were working.

Mr Mickel said that Queensland was embarking on an unprecedented spending program to improve rail level crossing safety across the state that will reduce crashes, save lives and create jobs.

"All up the program will have a total value of about $65 million," said Mr Mickel

"This is made up of a $42 million Federal Government injection, along with a further $13 million in an existing long-term Open Level Crossing Protection Strategy.

"This is in addition to the $10 million allocated through the QR Taskforce.

"Works to be undertaken at level crossing sites may include, boom gates and flashing lights, active advanced warning lights and signs, rumble strips, flashing strobe lights and additional signage and road markings," said Mr Mickel.

The location of the upgrade works are currently being investigated and the Coombs Street rail level crossing in Cairns where the collision occurred last night, will be considered.

QR, with support from Queensland Transport, is also running a $1 million community education campaign to improve level crossing safety following the two recent fatal collisions and ongoing concerns about motorists' behaviour.

The statewide, 'Some things are worth waiting for' campaign, includes TV, radio and newspaper advertising and aims to educate drivers about what they are risking if they ignore warnings at level crossings.

"Level crossing safety in some ways is very simple, it requires people to obey road rules and stop at a stop sign, flashing lights, or boom gate. When it comes to making the level crossings themselves safer it requires a three pronged approach of education, enforcement and engineering improvements.

"210 motorists struck level crossing infrastructure, including boom gates last year. To have one incident where a motorist disobeys flashing lights or boom gates is one too many, but to have 210 is completely beyond belief.

"I appeal to motorists to take special care and obey all traffic signs and signals when approaching level crossings," Mr Mickel said.

18 February 2008

Note to editors:

Video of QR's advertisement can be downloaded from QR's website; http://www.railsmart.com.au/RailwayCrossings.html

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[Dean Quick]

I cannot believe that this stupidity continues!!!

[mufreight]

I was once told that one can not put a brain into a monument but one can put a monument over the brainless, a headstone.
There is a limit to how much the community can do to protect the community from the actions of those too selfcentered, impatient and braindead to care or indeed from themselves.
It seems that in this day and age responsibility for ones actions is an extinct concept.

[brismike]

As far as these braindead individuals are concerned this is just Natural Selection at work. 

Natural Selection normally removes the less intelligent, weaker, or perhaps stupid people from the Gene Pool. 

However in this particular case the woman had a very lucky escape from Natural Selection and should buy herself a lotto ticket.