About 250 rush-hour commuters were aboard when accident occurred at Washington and Central, a 'notorious bad intersection'
Los Angeles Times
By Jean Guccione
December 23, 2006
Los Angeles, CA - Ten passengers and a firefighter were taken to hospitals for minor injuries Friday evening when a Blue Line commuter train struck a firetruck on an emergency call near downtown Los Angeles, authorities said.
The ladder truck and its crew were crossing Washington Boulevard at Central Avenue about 5 p.m. when the accident occurred, police and fire officials said.
"It looks like a big oops," said Los Angeles Police Sgt. Jeff Tepich, who was on the scene. "If [the train] is pulling a lot of weight even at a slow speed it's hard to stop."
The six-car train, which was carrying passengers from downtown Los Angeles to Long Beach, struck the center of the ladder truck and derailed, blocking both tracks. The truck was on its way to a small fire; a second engine was sent in its place.
A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority said the train operator had a green light when she proceeded into the intersection and did not see or hear the firetruck, which had its lights and sirens on.
"She said she did not hear the firetruck, but when she saw it in the intersection she used the emergency brake," spokesman Dave Sotero said.
"It is a notorious bad intersection," Assistant Fire Chief Ralph M. Terrazas said.
In response to several fatal collisions along the Blue Line route, flashing yellow signs have been added to warn motorists turning right on Washington to watch for the crossing train. No such warnings have been installed on Central.
The collision is under investigation, but Tepich said the train has the right of way, especially when the light is red.
"Our policy is to come to a complete stop at all red lights and stop signs before entering an intersection," Terrazas said.
The train, which was traveling in an area with a speed limit of 35 mph, was carrying about 250 rush-hour commuters, he said. City Fire Department personnel said they assessed about 25 passengers for mostly minor injuries at the scene.
The injured firefighter was working as the apparatus operator, steering the long truck from the rear. After the crash, he complained of back and neck pain, Terrazas said.
The tracks were closed in both directions for more than three hours while officials investigated the crash and removed debris.
The firetruck was towed, and the train, with a crushed front windshield, was pushed back onto the tracks.
Dozens of commuters walked down Central Avenue in the dark between the San Pedro and Washington stations, where transit service began and ended. Additional buses were added to bridge the service interruption, Sotero said.
Under MTA policy, the driver was required to be tested for possible drug and alcohol use.
L.A. Firetruck Collides With Train, Slightly Injuring at Least 10
Associated Press
December 22, 2006
LOS ANGELES -- A collision between a Blue Line train and a Los Angeles Fire Department ladder truck left a firefighter and several train riders with minor injuries Saturday.
It was unclear if the damage from Friday's 5:04 p.m. accident at Central Avenue and Washington Boulevard put the train out of commission, but it was was knocked off its tracks.
The train hit the ladder truck broadside, close to coupling joint where the tractors attaches to the rest of the rig.
Fire officials did not say where the truck was going, or if the lights and siren were activated.
Dave Sotero of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the Blue Line, said the train's operator had a green signal to proceed through the intersection and did not hear a siren. She did see its emergency lights, he said.
Sotero said the maximum speed of the Blue Line trains in that area is 35 mph. The cause of the collision was still under investigation, he said.
Ten people on the downtown-to-Long-Beach commuter train complained of injuries and were taken to hospitals to be checked out for mostly minor injuries, officials said. One person was reported to have been seriously injured. The extent of injuries to the firefighter were not disclosed.
Damage estimates for the train and truck were unavailable.
Also:
- Footage from KCBS
- Covered on LAFD Blog
- Pictures on LAFD Flickr page
