The commuter train had left Grand Central Terminal on Tuesday evening and hit the Jeep at a grade crossing in Valhalla, Westchester County at 6:30 pm. Five passengers died in the lead car of the train which was engulfed in flames from the impact.
Metro-North, operated by the New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), is an electrified commuter rail line that draws its electricity from what's referred to as a third rail, which became unhinged due to the force of the impact with the vehicle at the railroad crossing, now the deadliest crash in the the train line's history.
"Officials said the electrified third rail penetrated the vehicle and the train's first car, causing them to burst into flames," writes Kate Hinds of WNYC News. The driver of the Jeep also died.
A more precise account of what caused the fire was offered by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, reports the Daily News. "It appears that the [vehicle's] gasoline tank burst and that started the fire, consumed the [SUV] and consuming the first car of the first train,” Cuomo said on “CBS This Morning.”
The scene of the deadliest crash in Metro-North history was “as gruesome as I have seen,” the governor said. The entire first car, including all the seats, was burned or charred.
"No one here has ever seen anything like this," a law enforcement source told The Post. "It was a gruesome scene."
"It was not immediately clear why the car, described as a black Jeep Cherokee, was on the tracks," writes Hinds. "In an email, Metro-North spokeswoman Margie Anders said crossing gates came down on top of the vehicle."
The driver got out to look at the rear of the car," Anders wrote, "then she got back in and drove forward and was struck."
Gov. Cuomo told NY1 News, "Sometimes accidents just happen...Someone made a mistake and stopped on the tracks."
However, it's not even clear that the vehicle had stopped on the tracks when it was hit, according to accounts of the incident. After initially stopping, the motorist may have driven forwards thinking she could clear the tracks before the train passed.
"This is the second Metro-North crash with multiple fatalities in a little over a year," writes Hinds. "In December 2013, a train derailed in the Bronx, killing four and injuring scores." In May, 2013, two Metro-North trains collided near Fairfield, Conn., injuring 60 people, five of them critically.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash scene in Valhalla. "The NTSB team will stay on the scene for five to seven days, but a full investigation will take about a year," reports the Daily News.
According to a Metro-North service alert, "Metro-North Harlem Line train service on Wednesday, February 4 will remain suspended between Pleasantville and North White Plains until further notice due to the train/car collision near Valhalla."
"Metro-North is the nation's second-busiest railroad, after the Long Island Rail Road," writes Hinds. "It was formed in 1983 and serves about 280,000 riders a day in New York and Connecticut."
FULL STORY: 6 Killed in Metro-North Crash in Westchester
Examining Rail's Safety Record after Metro-North's Worst Crash
A column in The Week argues that notwithstanding Tuesday's horrific crash of a Metro-North train that killed five passengers, rail is a much safer mode than driving. However, rail deaths are increasing.
Done Deal: Manhattan Congestion Pricing
Finally, congestion pricing, as applied to city cordons, not highways, will be coming to the U.S., thanks to a budget deal approved by the New York State Legislature early Sunday morning. Tolls below 60th Street should begin by Jan. 1, 2021.
Railroads Given Three More Years to Install Positive Train Control
Agreement has been reached by Congress to extend the vital but costly safety system said to prevent many train crashes. Had it not been reached, freight railroads warned they would shut down, as would passenger rail lines running on their tracks.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Eviction Looms for Low-Income Tenants as Rent Debt Rises
Nonprofit housing operators across the country face almost $10 billion in rent debt.
Brightline West Breaks Ground
The high-speed rail line will link Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area.
Colorado Bans No-Fault Evictions
In most cases, landlords must provide a just cause for evicting tenants.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
