Rodeo fans need to watch out for the Danger Train
A truck turning into the Reliant Stadium parking lot collided with a Metro rail train today.
Rodeo traffic along Fannin was slowed because of the accident, but no one was injured.
Jim McElhaney, who was driving the truck, said he was turning into the rodeo grounds to pick up a friend for lunch when his truck hit the train.
He said the driver of the train saw he was turning and tried to brake, but couldn't stop in time.
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: Today, Ken Hoffman wrote about his exciting experience with the Danger Train:
I used to make fun of the idiot drivers who get hit by Houston's light-rail train. You'd have to be the world's worst driver to be involved in a train-car accident.
The trains run on tracks, so they can't swerve into another lane and hit you. The trains make a lot of noise with bells and whistles. They're big. They have lights. They have blinking guard rails.
And everybody knows the trains run on Main Street, right?
For the life of me, I can't understand how 122 idiot drivers (so far) could hit the train.
Saturday afternoon, I almost became Idiot No. 123.
Usually I avoid Main Street in downtown altogether; it's not worth the risk. Milam, Louisiana, Travis and Smith get me where I need to go, and they don't have trains on them.
But Saturday, I wasn't concentrating. I had just gotten a new cell phone that has photos and text messaging and a hundred other things I'll never use. My old phone was technologically one step behind smoke signals.
So I was half driving, half playing with the phone and half dancing to a really hot disco song on the radio.
Anyway, I wound up at a red light on Main Street ... I didn't see the warning sign ... I pulled up too far ... and ...
Lights starting flashing and the railroad crossing guard came down BEHIND me. The train was coming. I couldn't back up. I thought I was trapped.
I figured, this is it: See you on the 10 p.m. news.
I put the phone down and did an escape maneuver with my car that would make Smokey and the Bandit proud. Good thing there wasn't a camera on that corner. I'd be paying tickets for the next 10 years.
That's how idiot drivers can have an accident with trains. They're not paying attention. Like I wasn't paying attention.
I have to disagree with Hoffman somewhat. There are two rail intersections that I can use on my daily commute (Main/Richmond and Fannin/San Jacinto/Wentworth), and because of traffic getting backed up and short signals, I've seen some pretty interesting situations develop that weren't entirely the fault of drivers (although I haven't seen a crash yet). While idiot drivers have certainly contributed their part to the total number of crashes, the dangerous, poorly-conceived at-grade design has also contributed.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 03/07/06 02:46 PM | Print |
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