L.A. Train Accident Death Toll Climbs

18 Dead, About 135 People Injured After Commuter, Freight Trains Collide

(AP)  Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said today that 18 people have been confirmed dead in Friday's collision of a Metrolink commuter train and freight train.

Mayor Villaraigosa said that the number of injured remains at 135, with 81 in hospitals.

Fire official Mario Rueda says the likelihood of anyone remaining alive in the wreckage is very remote.

Emergency crews continued delicately picking apart the mangled wreckage of a commuter train that collided head-on with a freight train on the same track in Los Angeles.

The impact rammed the Metrolink engine backward into a passenger car, which rested on its side with the engine still inside it early Saturday, and accordioned the freight train cars. Two other Metrolink cars remained upright. Crews had to put out a fire under part of the train.

It was the deadliest U.S. passenger train accident in 15 years,

During the night, the teams used hydraulic jacks to keep the passenger car from falling over and other specialized rescue equipment to gently tear apart the metal.

Fire Capt. Steve Ruda said the goal was to eliminate every piece of metal and gradually work down into the passenger spaces, but by midnight crews were just getting through the top deck of the double-decker train.

"There's human beings in there and it's going to be painstaking to get them out," Ruda said. "They'll have to surgically remove them."

His firefighters had never seen such carnage, he said. The crews would have to work carefully to document the incident for investigators and so relatives could identify bodies, Ruda said.

Officials say there were 222 people on the Metrolink train and four Union Pacific employees aboard the freight train when they collided Friday afternoon in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley.

The cause of the collision had not been determined.

"This is the worst accident I've ever seen," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said. "Clearly the injuries are going to mount and so are the fatalities."

Asked how the two trains ended up on the same track, Steven Kulm, a spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration: "We are nowhere near having any information on that."

Kulm said the federal investigation will be headed by the National Transportation Safety Board, while his agency will conduct a review of whether any federal rail safety regulations were violated.

Union Pacific spokeswoman Zoe Richmond said it is common in California for freight and commuter trains to be on one track.

"You see it a lot in California where commuter trains share tracks with freight trains," Richmond said, adding she could not speculate about the cause of the crash.

Dr. Marc Eckstein, medical director for the city Fire Department, said 135 people were taken to hospitals - about 85 of them in serious or critical condition.

In the initial hours after the disaster, firefighters treated the injured at three triage areas near the wreck, and helicopters flew in and out of a nearby landing area on evacuation flights. Dazed and injured passengers sat on the ground and wandered about.

Leslie Burnstein saw the crash from her home and heard screams of agony as she ran through a haze of smoke toward the wreckage. She pulled victims out one by one.

"It was horrendous," said Burnstein, a psychologist. "Blood was everywhere. ... I heard people yelling, screaming in pain, begging for help."

Metrolink spokeswoman Denise Tyrrell said the Metrolink train left Union Station in downtown Los Angeles and was headed northwest to Moorpark in Ventura County. The trains collided at about 4:30 p.m. in the Chatsworth area of the San Fernando Valley, near a 500-foot(150-meter)-long tunnel underneath Stoney Point Park.

On the north side of the tunnel, there is a siding, a length of track where one train can wait for another to pass, Tyrrell said.

"I do not know what caused the wreck," said Tyrrell who broke down crying and was shaking. "Obviously two trains are not supposed to be on the same track at the same time."

Until Friday, the worst disaster in Metrolink's history occurred on Jan. 26, 2005, in suburban Glendale when a man parked a gasoline-soaked sport utility vehicle on railroad tracks. A Metrolink train struck the SUV and derailed, striking another Metrolink train traveling the other way, killing 11 people and injuring about 180 others. Juan Alvarez was convicted this year of murder for causing the crash.

That was the worst U.S. rail tragedy since March 15, 1999, when an Amtrak passenger train hit a truck and derailed near Bourbonnais, Illinois, killing 11 people and injuring more than 100.

The Sunset Limited was involved in the worst accident in Amtrak's 28-year history. On Sept. 22, 1993, 42 passengers and five crew members died when the train plunged off a trestle into a bayou near Mobile, Alabama. The trestle had been damaged minutes earlier by a towboat.

[l53388]

My prayers go out to everyone involved. To those that have lost love ones I pray the Lord will comfort you in this hurting time. May he wrap his arms of comfort around you. I pray for a quick and speedy recovery for all that were hurt! God bless you all and especially all the rescue workers that have worked so hard-thank you and God be with you and your families. And to all you fools that are using these post to give your political views or predjudice, remember at times like this we should all be like one grieving and trying to help each other-not trying to act like embicils with no lack of respect!-this pertains to other post listed under other categories too!

[l53388]

My prayers go out to everyone involved. To those that have lost love ones I pray the Lord will comfort you in this hurting time. May he wrap his arms of comfort around you. I pray for a quick and speedy recovery for all that were hurt! God bless you all and especially all the rescue workers that have worked so hard-thank you and God be with you and your families. And to all you fools that are using these post to give your political views or predjudice, remember at times like this we should all be like one grieving and trying to help each other-not trying to act like embicils with no lack of respect!-this pertains to other post listed under other categories too!

[techhere]

This accident is preventable if Bush spent our tax $$ for it in stead of spending for his crazy wars.


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Posted by lambor69 at 02:18 PM : Sep 13, 2008

Yes!
But Bush is always himself, like his fighter father.
It''s his voters who should take the blame!

And next year, McCain''s will have to take more.

He is also an attacker!

[begrunt]

Andor3,
I guess you just hate the police huh? Just admit it. I was at the scene,LASD Deputy Sheriff, all the "alive" victims had been rescued. What you saw was the recovery effort to retrieve bodies, with Officer Desha among them, so no one alive had been neglected. Whenever one of us go down in a situation like that, it is fitting and proper to bestow honor on a fallen Officer. I guess you complained on 9/11 when they brought out dead cops and fireman, and they did the same thing. Get you facts straight before you embarrass yourself in front of as national audience.

[squrlicious]

As a former Los Angeles resident, I have to extend my sincere condolences to the victims and their families. Very sad day for the city.

That being said, a psychologist was among the rescue workers? But I thought Scientologists were the only ones who could help when they came across an accident! Just ask Tom Cruise.

[birdshot8]

"Please stop the coverage on just one victim and the viewing of the tape footage on the LA Police Officer. "

Why were so many officers allowed to conduct that bit of theater funeral procession when there was an ongoing rescue effort that required their services? Victims were in critical need of rescue and every second counted. Seeing that did not make me feel more for the officer, just the opposite. IN something like this all victims are equal.


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Posted by andor3
C''mon it''s the LAPD,as usual it''s all about them. Everyone else is secondary.

[andor3]

"Please stop the coverage on just one victim and the viewing of the tape footage on the LA Police Officer. "

Why were so many officers allowed to conduct that bit of theater funeral procession when there was an ongoing rescue effort that required their services? Victims were in critical need of rescue and every second counted. Seeing that did not make me feel more for the officer, just the opposite. IN something like this all victims are equal.

[flreason]

Sincere condolances to the many Los Angeles families who lost familiy members. This was a horrible outcome of human error.

The people who have tried to exploit this for their own political or religious agendae owe the families an apology. It has nothing to do with politics or God''s judgment.

[xliberalcomi]

Please stop the coverage on just one victim and the viewing of the tape footage on the LA Police Officer.
--------------------------------------------------
Give Al Sharpton a call, I am sure he can help you out on that one.

[luvcomments]

willymack4
I''ll answer your question about Obama if you will answer mine about Alaska Barbie - when they talked about a pit bull with lipstick, was the reference to her as a female dog? You know: b-i-t-

[buttonjockey]

willymack4, don''t waste our time. Do your own research and make your own decision. "Conversion" is for religious fanatics. Think! Use your head and make your choice!

As for trains, the rail systems in many other parts of the world are so far ahead of what we have in the U.S. Also, there is an alarming number of vehicles hit by trains each year. This is simply stupid! Remember, whenever a train and something else collide, the train always wins.

[neo268]

You''d be a fool to ride a train in the US.

[willymack]

If you want me to vote for Obama, please publish a list of his accomplishments / credentials here on this site. I have asked this before and recieved no response. Either you are ignorant of what they are, or more likely there aren''t any. The first is testament to your intelligence if true, the second is a reason to vote for McCain. So use this space to convert me ! Do not just rave generalities like you candidate.

[kjamirson]

While a LA Police Officer did loose their life in this accident, so did many other people. Those others did not receive any kind of memorial when their bodies were taken from the wreckage. Their families got to watch as the bodies were simply laid on the ground and covered with white sheets. It is disrespectful to the other victims to have such coverage for only one victim when there are so many others who have lost their lives. Holes in work places and lives have also been left by the passing of each one of the victims. Please stop the coverage on just one victim and the viewing of the tape footage on the LA Police Officer.

[sparkbox]

Why can''t we stop the partisan snipping even when there isn''t a tragedy? Just what is our common goal?
Doe''s anyone know or want to?

[ofbyfor2]

Sometimes the Lord uses trains to get rid of sinners.

Posted by gop_will_win at 08:30 AM : Sep 13, 2008

***TROLL ALERT***

[honestabe8]

I agree with Republic1776. This is not time for partisan sniping. My heart goes out to the families

[shanev137]

There are people who are still trapped inside of that train, so people should really knock off with the stupid comments. I can''t believe there are sites out there already showing pictures of dead bodies and people with blood all over their faces. What a disgrace the human race can be at times.

[republic1776]

My heart goes out to the families.
I hope that commenter''s exercise some decency on this board.
Let''s drop our Democrat and Republican hats here.
This is a tragic accident, with loss of human life.

[diane578]

I am reading some of the comments and am completely disgusted by the lack of human decency people show in the wake of a tragedy. As of right now, I personally know 6 people that should have been on that Metrolink and by the grace of God either missed the train or changed their plans at the last minute. Knowing they are safely tucked in their beds tonight and live to enjoy another day with their families does not negate the pain and sorrow I feel for everyone involved. You are all in my prayers and thoughts.