Thread: 3 Hispanic Teens Killed In Wreck With Train

3 Teens Killed In Wreck With Train

http://www.click2houston.com/news/13955891/detail.html

HOUSTON -- Three teens died late Wednesday after their car went through railroad crossing arms, collided with an Amtrak train and caught fire, deputies said.

Harris County sheriff's deputies said the driver tried to cross in front of a passenger train along Beaumont Highway at C.E. King Parkway at about 11 p.m.

Investigators said the engineer sounded the train's horn and applied its emergency brakes, but was not able to avoid hitting the car.

"The three occupants in the vehicle, two Hispanic males and one Hispanic female, were found to have no signs of life here on the scene," Lt. Daryl Coleman said.

Witnesses told detectives that the driver went to extreme measures to try to beat the train.

"According to witnesses, as well as the engineer on the train, the driver of the vehicle disregarded the railroad warnings and went through the railroad arms," Coleman said.

The train hit the passenger side of the car and pushed it about 2,000 feet down the tracks before the car caught fire.

"The engineer observed that the vehicle had caught fire and attempted to back the train away from the car," Coleman said. "He could not back it away. It actually drug the car back some distance, maybe 100, 150 feet, at which time he stopped, exited the train."

The engineer put the fire out with an extinguisher carried on board the train.

Union Pacific crews separated the car from the train.

The 66 passengers on board the train had no idea what had happened.

"None of them saw anything, heard anything or felt anything," Coleman said.

None of the passengers or crew on board the train was injured.

The train originated in Los Angeles and was destined for New Orleans. The train continued on its trip after a four-hour investigation.

Investigators are working to determine how fast the train was traveling at the time of the wreck. The legal limit on the tracks is 70 mph.

I'd like some more info on this story... If the car was licensed, insured, and registered.. And if these "teens" were drinking or under any other influences?

I am amazed that people try to outrun trains We have plenty of trains up here in western Pa. and for the most part, people respect the raili road crossings. Very sad.

Originally Posted by steelerbabe

I am amazed that people try to outrun trains We have plenty of trains up here in western Pa. and for the most part, people respect the raili road crossings. Very sad.

I've been to PA alot and the RR crossings lack gates but is still respected! Here on Long Island the LIRR (Commuter RR) rolls through here and people go through and break the gate almost daily and more then once a day! Each crossing along the mainline has a small substation with 5 or more spare gates right on hand!!!

I guess some people just don't respect there life enough to care about it or maybe there late for American Idol.

The train engineer will live with the nightmare of this for the rest of his life..and it is not his fault and he did everything in his power to avoid it. I have read that engineers involved in incidents like this have a very high incidence of post-traumatic stress syndrome afterwards. Another American life ruined by these idiots.

Witnesses told detectives that the driver went to extreme measures to try to beat the train.

Sadly, when children are exposed to adults who habitually ignore the rule of law, they tend to ignore everything....including warning signals.

This story creeps me out. That has always been my one phobia: crossing train tracks. I always stop and look, whether the arms are down or not.

With regard to the ingrates who tried to outrun the train....well, no sympathy here. What idiots.

I hope they don't try to blame the train engineer...