Boy, 14, killed by train is mourned
Los Angeles Times
By Angie Green
January 27, 2007
A day after 14-year-old Lavert Baker Jr. lost his life after being struck by a Metro Blue Line commuter train, his family members grappled with whether his loss could have been avoided.
“He was my heart,” his father, Lavert Baker Sr., said Friday. “I lost a big part of my heart yesterday.”
The teenager was hit Thursday afternoon in Watts as he walked home from school. Witnesses said he was in the middle of the train tracks when warning lights started blinking and the guard gates lowered. A spokesperson for the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the train, said an investigation is underway.
By chance, Lavert’s 15-year-old sister, Moneisha, was a passenger on the train but did not learn that it was her brother who had been struck until she arrived at a relative’s home in East Los Angeles. Of 13 siblings, Lavert and Moneisha shared a special bond because of their closeness in age, the elder Baker said.
“The two were like this,” he said, holding his index and middle fingers together.
Lavert, an eighth-grader at Charles R. Drew Middle School, was crossing the four-lane tracks at the intersection of East 92nd Street and Graham Avenue when, his father said, he was “blindsided.” Baker said witnesses told him the guard gates were up before his son entered the train right-of-way about 3:45 p.m.
Earlier reports said he was riding a scooter, but an eyewitness said the scooter was brought to the scene by another neighbor boy after the accident.
Blanca Mendoza, 37, was heading east on 92nd Street and saw Baker standing in the middle of the four-lane tracks that run south and north. Mendoza said Friday in an interview that there was no scooter near him.
“He was in the middle when the lights started blinking and the arms went down,” she said. She heard the train’s horn three times and saw the train slow as it approached the boy, who turned to look just before the train hit him.
The teenager took the same route every day, his father said. The elder Baker was at his home less than a mile from the crossing when Mendoza and another resident rushed to tell him about the accident.
Baker, 51, found his son on the ground as a crowd began to gather. He rushed to his side and held him despite officials’ asking him to step aside. Lavert was taken to St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood and was pronounced dead at 4:11 p.m., said Lt. David Smith of the L.A. County coroner’s office.
The younger Baker, who was nicknamed “Vert Vert,” was described as “comical” by his mother, Marvella Graves, and “full of joy” by his father.
At the accident scene, Lavert’s father set up memorial candles in the shape of a “V” Thursday night.
Friends and family on Friday described Lavert as a well-liked and ambitious teen who was a video game fanatic and liked to play football and basketball. He wanted to be an electrician and go to college.
“He always showed me he wanted to go to college,” Baker said. “He would say, ‘You just watch, Dad, I’m going to be the first one.’ ”
A constant stream of friends and family members stopped by the Grape Street residence Friday to offer their condolences.
To help raise funds for memorial services, the 92nd Street Elementary School is holding a car wash today from 9 a.m. to noon. On Friday afternoon, students held posters they made with colored markers advertising the event.
Lavert was the second fatality this month involving a Metro Blue Line commuter train. On Jan. 5, a male was struck by a train in the Long Beach area, said Helen Gilstrap, an MTA spokeswoman.
The Metro Blue Line, L.A.’s first light-rail transit system, runs from 7th Street in downtown L.A. through Vernon, Huntington Park, South Gate, Watts, Compton and Carson to downtown Long Beach. It carries about 63,000 passengers daily and has a 55 mph maximum allowable speed.
From June 2005 to June 2006, 27 people were injured and five were killed in Blue Line accidents, Gilstrap said. The commuter trains run every five minutes from 3 to 7 p.m. at the intersection where Lavert was struck.
Gilstrap said the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the MTA are investigating Lavert’s death. She could not answer specific questions about the circumstances surrounding the accident.
“Everything is under investigation at this time,” Gilstrap said. “The results will take two weeks to give you a definitive answer.”
angie.green@latimes.com
Also:
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Blue Line Kills 17 and 27 Year Old and Leaves 7 Year Old in Critical Condition
2 Killed, 2 Injured in Car Hit by Train
Los Angeles Times
By Nancy Cleeland
August 21, 2006
A man and his sister were killed and his 7-year-old son was critically injured Sunday morning when the man turned their car in front of a Blue Line train near downtown Los Angeles and the vehicle was dragged half a block along the tracks, police said.
The siblings’ grandmother, 68, who was in the back seat, was being treated at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for chest pains, said Det. Josephine Mapson of the Los Angeles Police Department.
The driver was identified as Cesar Herrera, 27, of Los Angeles. His sister, Maria A. Herrera, was 17. Police did not identify the survivors.
Six of the 92 passengers on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority train were treated for minor injuries and released, Mapson said.
Both the car and the train, which runs at street level along the center of Washington Boulevard, were traveling east. The train’s operator told police that he saw a maroon Mazda stopped in the left-turn lane ahead of him at the intersection of Maple Avenue. Just as the train was about to pass, the traffic light turned green for through traffic but the left-turn arrow remained red.
Nevertheless, the Mazda driver turned left in front of the train, and the car was struck and pushed 162 feet east.
Mapson said the driver may have misread the traffic signal, which also has a box with flashing lights indicating an approaching train.
Los Angeles Fire Department personnel cut away the roof of the smashed car to remove the boy and his great-grandmother.
“I’ve been here 4 1/2 years and I’ve lost count of the number of accidents I’ve seen with this train,” said fire Battalion Chief Ray Gomez.
2 die when car collides with Blue Line train
Daily Breeze
August 21, 2006
Two people were killed and two other people, including a 7-year- old boy, were critically injured Sunday when the vehicle they were in collided with a Blue Line train in downtown Los Angeles, a fire official said.
The crash was reported at Maple Avenue and Washington Boulevard shortly after 9 a.m., said Brian Ballton of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
A 25-year-old man, who was driving, and his 17-year-old sister, were pronounced dead at the scene, he said.
A 55-year-old woman and the 7-year-old boy were taken to Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center in critical condition, he said.
Witnesses told KABC Channel 7 it appeared the man tried to make a left turn in front of the train.
About 50 people were on the train, and six were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, Ballton said.
According to KCBS Channel 2, it's the third crash involving an MTA Blue Line train in eight days.
On Aug. 13, a Blue Line train collided with a car at Flower Street and Pico Boulevard downtown, injuring the driver of a Honda, his passenger and several rail passengers.
Two days ago, a woman suffered minor injuries when she tried to make a turn in front of a Blue Line train near Flower Street and Venice Boulevard and was struck.
Two Dead, Eight Injured After Car Crashes Into MTA Train
KABC-TV
August 20, 2006
LOS ANGELES - Two people were killed and two others, including a 7- year-old boy, were critically injured Sunday when the vehicle they were in crashed into an MTA Blue Line train, a fire official said.
Of the 50 people on the train which was hit near downtown Los Angeles, six were transported to area hospitals with minor injuries, said Los Angeles City fire spokesperson Brian Ballton.
Fire personnel were dispatched to the scene of the crash in the area of Maple Avenue and Washington Boulevard at 9:03 a.m., Ballton said.
The 40-year-old male driver and the front seat passenger, a 40-year-old woman, were pronounced dead at the scene. The other occupants, a 55- year-old woman and a 7-year-old boy, were transported to Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center in critical condition.
A description of the vehicle involved in the crash was not immediately available, Ballton said.
Also:
Los Angeles Times
By Nancy Cleeland
August 21, 2006
A man and his sister were killed and his 7-year-old son was critically injured Sunday morning when the man turned their car in front of a Blue Line train near downtown Los Angeles and the vehicle was dragged half a block along the tracks, police said.
The siblings’ grandmother, 68, who was in the back seat, was being treated at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for chest pains, said Det. Josephine Mapson of the Los Angeles Police Department.
The driver was identified as Cesar Herrera, 27, of Los Angeles. His sister, Maria A. Herrera, was 17. Police did not identify the survivors.
Six of the 92 passengers on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority train were treated for minor injuries and released, Mapson said.
Both the car and the train, which runs at street level along the center of Washington Boulevard, were traveling east. The train’s operator told police that he saw a maroon Mazda stopped in the left-turn lane ahead of him at the intersection of Maple Avenue. Just as the train was about to pass, the traffic light turned green for through traffic but the left-turn arrow remained red.
Nevertheless, the Mazda driver turned left in front of the train, and the car was struck and pushed 162 feet east.
Mapson said the driver may have misread the traffic signal, which also has a box with flashing lights indicating an approaching train.
Los Angeles Fire Department personnel cut away the roof of the smashed car to remove the boy and his great-grandmother.
“I’ve been here 4 1/2 years and I’ve lost count of the number of accidents I’ve seen with this train,” said fire Battalion Chief Ray Gomez.
2 die when car collides with Blue Line train
Daily Breeze
August 21, 2006
Two people were killed and two other people, including a 7-year- old boy, were critically injured Sunday when the vehicle they were in collided with a Blue Line train in downtown Los Angeles, a fire official said.
The crash was reported at Maple Avenue and Washington Boulevard shortly after 9 a.m., said Brian Ballton of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
A 25-year-old man, who was driving, and his 17-year-old sister, were pronounced dead at the scene, he said.
A 55-year-old woman and the 7-year-old boy were taken to Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center in critical condition, he said.
Witnesses told KABC Channel 7 it appeared the man tried to make a left turn in front of the train.
About 50 people were on the train, and six were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, Ballton said.
According to KCBS Channel 2, it's the third crash involving an MTA Blue Line train in eight days.
On Aug. 13, a Blue Line train collided with a car at Flower Street and Pico Boulevard downtown, injuring the driver of a Honda, his passenger and several rail passengers.
Two days ago, a woman suffered minor injuries when she tried to make a turn in front of a Blue Line train near Flower Street and Venice Boulevard and was struck.
Two Dead, Eight Injured After Car Crashes Into MTA Train
KABC-TV
August 20, 2006
LOS ANGELES - Two people were killed and two others, including a 7- year-old boy, were critically injured Sunday when the vehicle they were in crashed into an MTA Blue Line train, a fire official said.
Of the 50 people on the train which was hit near downtown Los Angeles, six were transported to area hospitals with minor injuries, said Los Angeles City fire spokesperson Brian Ballton.
Fire personnel were dispatched to the scene of the crash in the area of Maple Avenue and Washington Boulevard at 9:03 a.m., Ballton said.
The 40-year-old male driver and the front seat passenger, a 40-year-old woman, were pronounced dead at the scene. The other occupants, a 55- year-old woman and a 7-year-old boy, were transported to Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center in critical condition.
A description of the vehicle involved in the crash was not immediately available, Ballton said.
Also:
- Post on the LAFD Blog mentions the 7-year old boy's name is Anthony
- Pictures from the accident are on the LAFD Flickr page
Thursday, August 12, 2004
Gold Line Takes Child's Limb because MTA was Too Cheap to Build a Fence
Freeway wreck involving commuter train kills three in Pasadena
Associated Press
August 12, 2004
PASADENA, Calif. - An automobile rolled over on a freeway Thursday, killing three people and injuring three others, including a boy who was hurled onto adjacent commuter rail tracks where a train severed one of his legs, authorities said.
The boy was in critical condition and two other surviving victims had major head injuries and broken bones, said Lisa Derdarian of the Pasadena Fire Department. Two others were hospitalized for emotional distress, she added. The identities of the victims were not immediately released.
The accident occurred about 10:10 a.m. on the Foothill Freeway. The Metro Gold Line light rail track runs down the median, separated from the east- and westbound lanes of the freeway by fences.
Two people died at the scene and a third was pronounced dead at a hospital, Derdarian said. No one on the train was hurt but service to and from the Pasadena terminal station was halted for about an hour, said Marc Littman, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Passengers had to use a station about a mile away, he said.
Pasadena is 16 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles.
Associated Press
August 12, 2004
PASADENA, Calif. - An automobile rolled over on a freeway Thursday, killing three people and injuring three others, including a boy who was hurled onto adjacent commuter rail tracks where a train severed one of his legs, authorities said.
The boy was in critical condition and two other surviving victims had major head injuries and broken bones, said Lisa Derdarian of the Pasadena Fire Department. Two others were hospitalized for emotional distress, she added. The identities of the victims were not immediately released.
The accident occurred about 10:10 a.m. on the Foothill Freeway. The Metro Gold Line light rail track runs down the median, separated from the east- and westbound lanes of the freeway by fences.
Two people died at the scene and a third was pronounced dead at a hospital, Derdarian said. No one on the train was hurt but service to and from the Pasadena terminal station was halted for about an hour, said Marc Littman, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Passengers had to use a station about a mile away, he said.
Pasadena is 16 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles.
Monday, March 1, 2004
Blue Line Kills Motorist in Watts and Injures 14
MTA Train Hits Car, Killing Woman
Los Angeles Times
By Kevin Pang and Arlene Martinez
March 02, 2004
A motorist turned into the path of an MTA Blue Line train at a Watts intersection Monday, killing one of the car’s occupants and injuring 14 people.
The most seriously injured were traveling in the 2003 Honda Civic, including the 45-year-old driver, who was listed in critical condition at Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center. A boy in the back seat sustained minor injuries and was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
Nine passengers aboard the train were sent to nearby hospitals for minor neck and back injuries. Three others on the train were treated at the scene. Sara Silvia Tovar, 48, was pronounced dead at the accident site.
Authorities said the car attempted to turn left onto southbound Wilmington Avenue from Willowbrook Avenue about 8 a.m. when the train, traveling about 50 mph, struck the passenger side of the vehicle.
The car then hit an MTA power pole, knocking down one of its support beams.
The car was pushed alongside the rails until it came to rest next to the train, about 200 feet from the site of the collision.
Los Angeles police spokesman Capt. Terry Hara said investigators believe the motorist was at fault because left turns are not allowed onto Wilmington Avenue from Willowbrook Avenue.
“The car wasn’t on the correct side of the street, it was in the middle,” Hara said.
Residents say drivers – as well as pedestrians – are careless while crossing the tracks.
“I’ve seen it so many times
“Once the guard rails come down [drivers] don’t know whether to go back or front.”
Tigerino and other witnesses said he heard the warning sounds of the crossing gate lowering and moments later heard a loud impact.
The 22-mile Blue Line runs from Long Beach to downtown Los Angeles.
Including Monday’s fatality, 22 occupants of vehicles and 43 pedestrians have been killed along the Blue Line since it began operating in 1990, making it the deadliest of the MTA’s four rail routes.
Ten accidents have occurred at the Wilmington intersection alone, including five fatalities, said Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Rick Jager.
“The corridor has been particularly difficult for us. There are a lot of different exits and intersections,” Jager said. “We’ve worked with the city to erect more signage.”
Still, there are several other intersections along the route that have recorded significantly more accidents than the Wilmington intersection, including Venice Boulevard with 30 vehicular accidents, San Pedro Street with 23 accidents and 20th Street in Long Beach with 20 accidents.
Before 1990, slow-moving freight trains used the tracks, Jager said, and people may not realize that the Blue Line trains are moving up to 55 mph.
This is the third accident on the Blue Line this year, but the first involving a fatality.
The accident caused disruptions to MTA Blue Line service between the 103rd Street and Imperial/Wilmington stations during the busy Monday morning period. Jager said passengers experienced 30-minute delays when they were bused around the accident scene and transferred to another train.
Los Angeles Times
By Kevin Pang and Arlene Martinez
March 02, 2004
A motorist turned into the path of an MTA Blue Line train at a Watts intersection Monday, killing one of the car’s occupants and injuring 14 people.
The most seriously injured were traveling in the 2003 Honda Civic, including the 45-year-old driver, who was listed in critical condition at Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center. A boy in the back seat sustained minor injuries and was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
Nine passengers aboard the train were sent to nearby hospitals for minor neck and back injuries. Three others on the train were treated at the scene. Sara Silvia Tovar, 48, was pronounced dead at the accident site.
Authorities said the car attempted to turn left onto southbound Wilmington Avenue from Willowbrook Avenue about 8 a.m. when the train, traveling about 50 mph, struck the passenger side of the vehicle.
The car then hit an MTA power pole, knocking down one of its support beams.
The car was pushed alongside the rails until it came to rest next to the train, about 200 feet from the site of the collision.
Los Angeles police spokesman Capt. Terry Hara said investigators believe the motorist was at fault because left turns are not allowed onto Wilmington Avenue from Willowbrook Avenue.
“The car wasn’t on the correct side of the street, it was in the middle,” Hara said.
Residents say drivers – as well as pedestrians – are careless while crossing the tracks.
“I’ve seen it so many times
“Once the guard rails come down [drivers] don’t know whether to go back or front.”
Tigerino and other witnesses said he heard the warning sounds of the crossing gate lowering and moments later heard a loud impact.
The 22-mile Blue Line runs from Long Beach to downtown Los Angeles.
Including Monday’s fatality, 22 occupants of vehicles and 43 pedestrians have been killed along the Blue Line since it began operating in 1990, making it the deadliest of the MTA’s four rail routes.
Ten accidents have occurred at the Wilmington intersection alone, including five fatalities, said Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Rick Jager.
“The corridor has been particularly difficult for us. There are a lot of different exits and intersections,” Jager said. “We’ve worked with the city to erect more signage.”
Still, there are several other intersections along the route that have recorded significantly more accidents than the Wilmington intersection, including Venice Boulevard with 30 vehicular accidents, San Pedro Street with 23 accidents and 20th Street in Long Beach with 20 accidents.
Before 1990, slow-moving freight trains used the tracks, Jager said, and people may not realize that the Blue Line trains are moving up to 55 mph.
This is the third accident on the Blue Line this year, but the first involving a fatality.
The accident caused disruptions to MTA Blue Line service between the 103rd Street and Imperial/Wilmington stations during the busy Monday morning period. Jager said passengers experienced 30-minute delays when they were bused around the accident scene and transferred to another train.
Saturday, January 17, 2004
Blue Line Hits Teen Driver in Long Beach
Police Seek Identity of Driver Hurt in Crash
Los Angeles Times
January 20, 2004
Police were seeking the public’s help Monday in identifying a motorist who survived a crash with a Blue Line train.
The crash occurred at 9:11 p.m. Saturday when a tan 1985 Toyota Corolla turned into the path of a train at Long Beach Boulevard and Burnett Street, said Officer Greg Schirmer. The car’s license plate number is 5CPH259.
The driver, a male Latino believed to be in his late teens, with no identification, remained hospitalized and was unable to communicate.
Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Brian Watt at (562) 570-5520.
Los Angeles Times
January 20, 2004
Police were seeking the public’s help Monday in identifying a motorist who survived a crash with a Blue Line train.
The crash occurred at 9:11 p.m. Saturday when a tan 1985 Toyota Corolla turned into the path of a train at Long Beach Boulevard and Burnett Street, said Officer Greg Schirmer. The car’s license plate number is 5CPH259.
The driver, a male Latino believed to be in his late teens, with no identification, remained hospitalized and was unable to communicate.
Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Brian Watt at (562) 570-5520.
Friday, November 22, 2002
Blue Line Kills 16 Year Old Girl Near San Pedro Station
Blue Line Train Kills Teenager in Crosswalk
Los Angeles Times
By Kurt Streeter
November 23, 2002
A 16-year-old girl was killed Friday when she was struck by a Blue Line train on a street just south of downtown Los Angeles.
The accident raises the death toll to 61 on the light railway since it opened in 1990. The 22-mile line connecting downtown with Long Beach has many stretches that run among cars and pedestrians on busy streets. It has the worst fatal accident rate among light-rail lines in California and is among the deadliest railways in the nation, according to Federal Transit Administration statistics.
Witnesses told police the girl was in a crosswalk when she was hit about 7:30 a.m. by a southbound train near a station platform in the 700 block of East Washington Boulevard, said LAPD Sgt. Kevin Custard.
The witnesses said the girl, whose name was being withheld pending notification of her family, was crossing the street against a pedestrian red-light signal.
“She apparently was rushing across the street, even though she didn’t have a signal to go,” Custard said. “The train hit her and ran her over.”
She was pronounced dead at the scene by Los Angeles Fire Department officials.
Full service on the Blue Line was stopped for about two hours, an MTA spokesman said.
The Blue Line carries about 62,000 riders daily, making it one of the busiest light-rail lines in the nation.
Los Angeles Times
By Kurt Streeter
November 23, 2002
A 16-year-old girl was killed Friday when she was struck by a Blue Line train on a street just south of downtown Los Angeles.
The accident raises the death toll to 61 on the light railway since it opened in 1990. The 22-mile line connecting downtown with Long Beach has many stretches that run among cars and pedestrians on busy streets. It has the worst fatal accident rate among light-rail lines in California and is among the deadliest railways in the nation, according to Federal Transit Administration statistics.
Witnesses told police the girl was in a crosswalk when she was hit about 7:30 a.m. by a southbound train near a station platform in the 700 block of East Washington Boulevard, said LAPD Sgt. Kevin Custard.
The witnesses said the girl, whose name was being withheld pending notification of her family, was crossing the street against a pedestrian red-light signal.
“She apparently was rushing across the street, even though she didn’t have a signal to go,” Custard said. “The train hit her and ran her over.”
She was pronounced dead at the scene by Los Angeles Fire Department officials.
Full service on the Blue Line was stopped for about two hours, an MTA spokesman said.
The Blue Line carries about 62,000 riders daily, making it one of the busiest light-rail lines in the nation.
Friday, July 16, 1999
Blue Line Kills 13 Year Old Boy in South LA
13-Year-Old Boy Is Hit, Killed by Blue Line Train
Los Angeles Times
By Rich Connell and Caitlin Liu
July 17, 1999
A 13-year-old boy was killed Friday afternoon in South Los Angeles after he apparently hopped through a row of stopped freight cars and into the path of a Blue Line commuter train.
Gilberto Reynaga was struck by a southbound train at about 4:30 p.m. as he and a friend darted across the side-by-side rail tracks north of Slauson Avenue.
The boy, who had been playing basketball on one side of the tracks, was headed in the direction of his home on the other, witnesses said.
Police said the boys apparently jumped between the cars of a stopped Union Pacific freight train as warning signs sounded.
The boys looked one way when they came from the freight cars, witnesses said, but didn’t realize the commuter train was approaching from the other direction.
“Every day we fear that something like this could happen,” said Mabel Cail, who lives in the victim’s apartment complex next to the rail corridor near Long Beach Avenue. The neighborhood has large numbers of children, she said, who constantly crisscross the freight and passenger tracks. “It’s in a residential area … it would be much better if there [was] an overpass.”
Gilberto, an eighth-grader with several siblings, was described by relatives as an avid ballplayer.
“He loved basketball,” said his sister-in-law, Lillian Salazar. “He was happy, outgoing… . He was a sweet, sweet boy.”
“He was the baby,” said Gilberto’s older brother, Everado.
Passengers on the Blue Line train said they saw the victim’s friend dash away from the train.
“We saw him almost get hit. He was running. He seemed so scared,” said L.P. Tutankhamon, a retired designer from South Central Los Angeles. “We were laughing.”
But the feeling of relief turned to horror when the train made an emergency stop and they realized another child had been hit and dragged along the tracks.
Later, after the body had been removed, a black tennis shoe remained on the tracks. As one of Gilberto’s relatives went to pick it up, investigators told her it had to remain where it was.
Gilberto was the first child on foot killed by a Blue Line train, a Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman said.
Friday’s fatality was the second this year on the Blue Line. The first occurred less than a month ago when a man stepped in front of a train near the Watts station.
Forty-five people have been killed since service began between downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach in 1990, mostly motorists or pedestrians trying to go around barriers, said the MTA’s Gary Wosk.
Fatalities are down slightly this year, Wosk said, partly because of new warning signs and increased distribution of safety literature.
Blue Line trains had to be routed around the accident scene Friday, slowing the evening rush-hour commute for thousands of Blue Line riders.
Los Angeles Times
By Rich Connell and Caitlin Liu
July 17, 1999
A 13-year-old boy was killed Friday afternoon in South Los Angeles after he apparently hopped through a row of stopped freight cars and into the path of a Blue Line commuter train.
Gilberto Reynaga was struck by a southbound train at about 4:30 p.m. as he and a friend darted across the side-by-side rail tracks north of Slauson Avenue.
The boy, who had been playing basketball on one side of the tracks, was headed in the direction of his home on the other, witnesses said.
Police said the boys apparently jumped between the cars of a stopped Union Pacific freight train as warning signs sounded.
The boys looked one way when they came from the freight cars, witnesses said, but didn’t realize the commuter train was approaching from the other direction.
“Every day we fear that something like this could happen,” said Mabel Cail, who lives in the victim’s apartment complex next to the rail corridor near Long Beach Avenue. The neighborhood has large numbers of children, she said, who constantly crisscross the freight and passenger tracks. “It’s in a residential area … it would be much better if there [was] an overpass.”
Gilberto, an eighth-grader with several siblings, was described by relatives as an avid ballplayer.
“He loved basketball,” said his sister-in-law, Lillian Salazar. “He was happy, outgoing… . He was a sweet, sweet boy.”
“He was the baby,” said Gilberto’s older brother, Everado.
Passengers on the Blue Line train said they saw the victim’s friend dash away from the train.
“We saw him almost get hit. He was running. He seemed so scared,” said L.P. Tutankhamon, a retired designer from South Central Los Angeles. “We were laughing.”
But the feeling of relief turned to horror when the train made an emergency stop and they realized another child had been hit and dragged along the tracks.
Later, after the body had been removed, a black tennis shoe remained on the tracks. As one of Gilberto’s relatives went to pick it up, investigators told her it had to remain where it was.
Gilberto was the first child on foot killed by a Blue Line train, a Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman said.
Friday’s fatality was the second this year on the Blue Line. The first occurred less than a month ago when a man stepped in front of a train near the Watts station.
Forty-five people have been killed since service began between downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach in 1990, mostly motorists or pedestrians trying to go around barriers, said the MTA’s Gary Wosk.
Fatalities are down slightly this year, Wosk said, partly because of new warning signs and increased distribution of safety literature.
Blue Line trains had to be routed around the accident scene Friday, slowing the evening rush-hour commute for thousands of Blue Line riders.
Tuesday, November 16, 1993
Blue Line Kills 2 Year Old, 18 Year Old & Critically Injures 3 Children
2 Killed, 5 Hurt When Blue Line Train Hits Auto Accident
Crash claims lives of a young child and the driver, who apparently went around lowered crossing gates. Other victims are pried from wreckage.
Los Angeles Times
By Nieson Himmel & Jean Merl
November 17, 1993
Two people died and at least seven others were injured Tuesday night when a Blue Line train struck a car that apparently had driven around lowered crossing gates in Willowbrook, authorities said.
The crash occurred just before 9 p.m. near Willowbrook Avenue and 124th Street, a county Fire Department official said.
Killed were an 18-year-old woman, who was driving the car, and a child believed to be between 2 and 3. The five others in the car-three children and two adults-were critically injured. All had to be pried from the wreckage. The driver died at the scene and the child at a hospital, the California Highway Patrol said.
At least one person on the train complained of injuries, the CHP said. It could not be immediately determined whether they were serious.
Eyewitness Cesar Martinez said he heard the train "honk twice real loud. Then I saw this car wheeling around the gate, and the train hit it right in the middle. The car spun around.
"I rushed over and it looked like a massacre. I grabbed a child out of the car and a (deputy) handed me another."
Greg Davy, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the Blue Line, said the northbound commuter train was traveling at 30 m.p.h. when the crash occurred. It rolled another 200 feet down the track before the operator could bring the 92,000-pound train to a stop.
Since it began operating in July, 1990, the Blue Line has been plagued with accidents, prompting authorities to step up security and to mount a campaign to keep vehicles from driving around crossing gates.
Tuesday night's collision raised the number of fatalities in Blue Line accidents to 16.
The previous fatal accident also was in Willowbrook. In May, two men in a stolen car drove onto the tracks in the path of an oncoming train and were killed.
Crash claims lives of a young child and the driver, who apparently went around lowered crossing gates. Other victims are pried from wreckage.
Los Angeles Times
By Nieson Himmel & Jean Merl
November 17, 1993
Two people died and at least seven others were injured Tuesday night when a Blue Line train struck a car that apparently had driven around lowered crossing gates in Willowbrook, authorities said.
The crash occurred just before 9 p.m. near Willowbrook Avenue and 124th Street, a county Fire Department official said.
Killed were an 18-year-old woman, who was driving the car, and a child believed to be between 2 and 3. The five others in the car-three children and two adults-were critically injured. All had to be pried from the wreckage. The driver died at the scene and the child at a hospital, the California Highway Patrol said.
At least one person on the train complained of injuries, the CHP said. It could not be immediately determined whether they were serious.
Eyewitness Cesar Martinez said he heard the train "honk twice real loud. Then I saw this car wheeling around the gate, and the train hit it right in the middle. The car spun around.
"I rushed over and it looked like a massacre. I grabbed a child out of the car and a (deputy) handed me another."
Greg Davy, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the Blue Line, said the northbound commuter train was traveling at 30 m.p.h. when the crash occurred. It rolled another 200 feet down the track before the operator could bring the 92,000-pound train to a stop.
Since it began operating in July, 1990, the Blue Line has been plagued with accidents, prompting authorities to step up security and to mount a campaign to keep vehicles from driving around crossing gates.
Tuesday night's collision raised the number of fatalities in Blue Line accidents to 16.
The previous fatal accident also was in Willowbrook. In May, two men in a stolen car drove onto the tracks in the path of an oncoming train and were killed.
Thursday, October 25, 1990
Blue Line Kills 4 Year Old and Mother, 12 Hours After Injuring 4 Others
4 Hurt in Latest Blue Line Crash
Los Angeles Times
October 25, 1990
Los Angeles, CA - Four people in a car making a left turn were injured in a collision with a Blue Line train today, less than 12 hours after a mother and her son were killed in another accident along the Los Angeles-to-Long Beach line.
The latest accident occurred about 8:10 a.m. in Long Beach at Burnett Street and Long Beach Boulevard after the driver of the car turned into the southbound train three blocks south of the Willow Station, said Rick Jager, a spokesman for the Southern California Rapid Transit District.
In the earlier incident, Graciela Marinero, 26, of Los Angeles, and her 4-year-old son, Willie Torres, were killed about 8:45 p.m. Wednesday when their car was struck by a Blue Line train at a South-Central Los Angeles intersection.
The victims in today's collision were taken to Long Beach Memorial Hospital, Jager said. A hospital spokesman said the four-all Cambodians-suffered minor injuries.
Los Angeles Times
October 25, 1990
Los Angeles, CA - Four people in a car making a left turn were injured in a collision with a Blue Line train today, less than 12 hours after a mother and her son were killed in another accident along the Los Angeles-to-Long Beach line.
The latest accident occurred about 8:10 a.m. in Long Beach at Burnett Street and Long Beach Boulevard after the driver of the car turned into the southbound train three blocks south of the Willow Station, said Rick Jager, a spokesman for the Southern California Rapid Transit District.
In the earlier incident, Graciela Marinero, 26, of Los Angeles, and her 4-year-old son, Willie Torres, were killed about 8:45 p.m. Wednesday when their car was struck by a Blue Line train at a South-Central Los Angeles intersection.
The victims in today's collision were taken to Long Beach Memorial Hospital, Jager said. A hospital spokesman said the four-all Cambodians-suffered minor injuries.
Tuesday, July 31, 1990
Blue Line Takes Teenagers Toes
Teen Plays 'Dare,' Loses Toes to Blue Line Train Transit
This first major injury associated with the new commuter service, which today will start charging passengers $1.10 for a one-way ride.
Los Angeles Times
By George Ramos
August 1, 1990
Los Angeles, CA - As officials prepared for today's $1.10 fare startup on the Blue Line, a teen-ager became the first person to receive a major injury associated with the light rail service when he lost several toes while playing a game of "dare" with a train near downtown Los Angeles.
RTD officials said Alejandro Hernandez, 13, of Los Angeles, and four friends were running next to a train near the Pico-Flower station Monday night, apparently daring one another to jump and catch a railing bar on a Blue Line car and then jump off. Hernandez, however, slipped and his left foot became caught under the train's wheels.
"He lost several of his toes," said Andrea Greene, a spokeswoman for the Southern California Rapid Transit District.
The train's operator and passengers were unaware of the mishap as the trolley proceeded south on Flower Street, Greene added.
The youth was taken to County-USC Medical Center, where he was in fair and stable condition Tuesday, hospital officials said.
Greene said that while RTD officials regret the accident, they believe that even the most stringent safety measures cannot prevent similar incidents.
"We're doing all that we can," she said, "but this has been going on for decades-boys playing with trains. And who's going to win? Obviously, the train is going to win."
The incident added fuel to arguments from some critics that there are not enough safety precautions along the 22-mile line from Long Beach to Los Angeles.
The head of the RTD bus drivers union said he reminded transit authorities this year that many youngsters play near the line's Pico-Flower station.
"We told them something ought to be done about that," said Earl Clark, general chairman of the United Transportation Union.
He also reiterated fears that unguarded tracks along Washington Boulevard on the southern edge of downtown could lead to accidents. Clark said RTD and state officials responded vaguely that they were looking into several safety concerns along the route.
Transit officials, citing the safety measures in the $11-million contract with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to provide security on the Blue Line, said they are generally satisfied with efforts to ensure passengers' well-being.
But what can authorities do with playful youngsters who want to outsmart a Blue Line train?
"If we see that type of activity, we will attempt to prevent it," a sheriff's spokesman said.
The trains have been operating free of charge since they began service July 14. One-way fares of $1.10 will begin this morning.
This first major injury associated with the new commuter service, which today will start charging passengers $1.10 for a one-way ride.
Los Angeles Times
By George Ramos
August 1, 1990
Los Angeles, CA - As officials prepared for today's $1.10 fare startup on the Blue Line, a teen-ager became the first person to receive a major injury associated with the light rail service when he lost several toes while playing a game of "dare" with a train near downtown Los Angeles.
RTD officials said Alejandro Hernandez, 13, of Los Angeles, and four friends were running next to a train near the Pico-Flower station Monday night, apparently daring one another to jump and catch a railing bar on a Blue Line car and then jump off. Hernandez, however, slipped and his left foot became caught under the train's wheels.
"He lost several of his toes," said Andrea Greene, a spokeswoman for the Southern California Rapid Transit District.
The train's operator and passengers were unaware of the mishap as the trolley proceeded south on Flower Street, Greene added.
The youth was taken to County-USC Medical Center, where he was in fair and stable condition Tuesday, hospital officials said.
Greene said that while RTD officials regret the accident, they believe that even the most stringent safety measures cannot prevent similar incidents.
"We're doing all that we can," she said, "but this has been going on for decades-boys playing with trains. And who's going to win? Obviously, the train is going to win."
The incident added fuel to arguments from some critics that there are not enough safety precautions along the 22-mile line from Long Beach to Los Angeles.
The head of the RTD bus drivers union said he reminded transit authorities this year that many youngsters play near the line's Pico-Flower station.
"We told them something ought to be done about that," said Earl Clark, general chairman of the United Transportation Union.
He also reiterated fears that unguarded tracks along Washington Boulevard on the southern edge of downtown could lead to accidents. Clark said RTD and state officials responded vaguely that they were looking into several safety concerns along the route.
Transit officials, citing the safety measures in the $11-million contract with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to provide security on the Blue Line, said they are generally satisfied with efforts to ensure passengers' well-being.
But what can authorities do with playful youngsters who want to outsmart a Blue Line train?
"If we see that type of activity, we will attempt to prevent it," a sheriff's spokesman said.
The trains have been operating free of charge since they began service July 14. One-way fares of $1.10 will begin this morning.
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