Women struck, killed by C-Train

[LChoy]

Sad story this morning

The woman was crossing 36th Street at Marlborough Drive N.E. at about 7:10 p.m. with a male companion Thursday when she was struck by a southbound train. Traffic officials said the crossing's warning system was active at the time, with the guards lowered, and the lights and bells all on to warn of an oncoming train. It is unclear at this time how the warning failed to prevent the collision.
Witnesses say the C-Train driver stepped on the brakes and blew the horn as he approached the intersection of 36th Street and 8th Avenue N. E., but the woman kept walking.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Wo...872/story.html

As sad as it was, I was more annoyed by the first 2 comments that were blaming the driver or the c-train. While it's nicer to have an underground c-train all the way, it would also take 10X the cost and time to do that. Some times, people have to take responsibility for their own actions, including looking both ways when crossing the street

[Fobulous]

I agree.

There are some people out there that still believe that they could take a train one on one and win...

THere are lights, bells, and lowering arms that tell you a train is coming... follow the rules and no one gets hurt.

[kermitology]

I wonder if she was listening to music at the time? Sort of makes sense if the driver blew the horn but she didn't notice. Still.. how do you not see the signs that the train is coming, or check for it?

[red sky]

I heard she had her earphones on. According to CBC radio.

[metallicat]

Looking both ways before crossing the road was taught to us when we were two years old. Doing the same at a railroad crossing seems to only make sense. I feel bad for the train driver. Imagine what he's going through.

[FFR]

See...I don't buy earphones on as an excuse really. I may seem kind of insensitive...but there are flashing lights and crossing gates for a reason...You can see those. Having headphones on shouldn't impair your vision.

[Pagal4321]

And also, your music would have to be pretty damn loud to not hear the train horn in addition to the sirens from warning system.
I always have my headphones in, sometimes cranked pretty loud, and I can usually hear the train horn as it passes through downtown.

[cyclone3483]

Unfortunately, people are just too complacent when it comes to the trains. Every day I see someone run across the tracks downtown to make their train (instead of the one coming in 5 mins). On a couple of occassions, the person has narrowly missed getting hit by trains or buses because they are not watching (just focused on making their train).

Yesterday, I shook my head as I saw three construction guys, one after another, slowly trudging along the CP Rail line on their way to Heritage station. One had ears phones in and another was on his cell. Are they expecting the heavily laden freight train to gently apply its brakes so as not to hit them? It would not surprise me if we are reading about one of them getting run down in the next few months.

Idiots.

[Bobblehead]

I saw the closure last night when I got off work. 36th SB was closed between 8th & 5th ave, all southbound traffic was diverted to 34th St.

And some of those comments are truly ignorant. The first one trying to blame the transit drivers? Dude, the line up 36th isn't like downtown, stop thinking your little world is the way it is everywhere.

[Russic]

Headphones really can't be used as an excuse in this instance imo. I wear headphones all the time and for that reason my head is always on a swivel. I probably look both ways about 3 or 4 times as I'm crossing any street. If you're going to be listening to music in a busy area you have an obligation to be aware of what's going on around you.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Pagal4321

And also, your music would have to be pretty damn loud to not hear the train horn in addition to the sirens from warning system.
I always have my headphones in, sometimes cranked pretty loud, and I can usually hear the train horn as it passes through downtown.

It happens though. I knew someone in highschool who was walking along the tracks and was struck and killed by a train. She was listening to music.

I wouldn't even put it past someone to do something like this if they were texting and walking at the same time. People just become so oblivious. The other day, I almost saw someone get hit by a car because he almost walked out into busy traffic while he was texting. Someone actually had to grab the guys hoody and yank him back.

[MelBridgeman]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

It happens though. I knew someone in highschool who was walking along the tracks and was struck and killed by a train. She was listing to music.

I wouldn't even put it past someone to do something like this if they were texting and walking at the same time. People just become so oblivious. The other day, I almost saw someone get hit by a car because they almost walked out into busy traffic while they were texting. Someone actually had to grab the guys hoody and yank him back.

Sad to lose a young life like that...but walking along tracks with earphones...not smart.

Again personal responsibility in this case...PAY attention..look both ways, be aware of your surrondings...

[cyclone3483]

Originally Posted by Fobulous

I agree.

There are some people out there that still believe that they could take a train one on one and win...

THere are lights, bells, and lowering arms that tell you a train is coming... follow the rules and no one gets hurt.

Chuck Norris could do that, but he wouldn't want to hurt the train.

But alas, the rest of us are not Chuck Norris.

[enthused]

Its definitely unfortunate for a young person to lose their life in such a drastic way, but this should definitely be a reminder to everyone to pay attention when you're crossing the street, or train tracks, or whatever! You can't depend on other people to be watching out for you, you need to be assertive and look out for yourself.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

Sad to lose a young life like that...but walking along tracks with earphones...not smart.

Again personal responsibility in this case...PAY attention..look both ways, be aware of your surrondings...

No, it was not smart.

It's worth noting that it happened way out in the sticks during winter. The tracks are usually pretty clear of snow where as the roads usually had a lot of snow on them.

Still not very smart. One of those youth errors that most people make at some point though... they usually don't end so tragically though.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by kermitology

I wonder if she was listening to music at the time? Sort of makes sense if the driver blew the horn but she didn't notice. Still.. how do you not see the signs that the train is coming, or check for it?

That was my first thought as well. It's amazing how people just get in their own little worlds with those things on. I take an express bus to university every day and I'd say 75% of people on the bus have their iPods on.

I worked for the City of Edmonton on a road crew two summers ago and we weren't allowed to wear iPods anymore because a sign girl a couple years before wasn't paying attention when wearing one and was struck and killed by a car. Those things are the anti-Christ I tells ya.

[driveway]

Trains scare the effing hell out of me. Not in an "I have a phobia way" but in a "I never, ever screw around near trains or train tracks." I hate the intersection of 4th st and 7th avenue East - I have visions of getting stuck on the tracks in traffic.

Also, I work in Inglewood/Ramsay, there are train tracks all over the place there. I remember coming back from lunch once (on foot) and there was a freight train blocking 11th st. It would advance slowly, then stop, then reverse a little, then stop - each time it stopped I would stare at the point between train cars and think "I could get through there, it would take six seconds and I'd be through."

I stood there for twenty minutes waiting for that train to clear the damn intersection. Never screw around with trains.

edit: Also the posted article states that this woman was with a male companion, which pretty much completely eliminates the 'listening to music' excuse. How can two people not notice the train warning bells/lights/arms?

[LChoy]

Maybe the truth will be revealed after the Tox report comes out

[Byrns]

The woman was crossing 36th Street at Marlborough Drive N.E. at about 7:10 p.m. with a male companion Thursday when she was struck by a southbound train. Traffic officials said the crossing's warning system was active at the time, with the guards lowered, and the lights and bells all on to warn of an oncoming train. It is unclear at this time how the warning failed to prevent the collision.
Witnesses say the C-Train driver stepped on the brakes and blew the horn as he approached the intersection of 36th Street and 8th Avenue N. E., but the woman kept walking.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Wo...872/story.html

Huh? Note to self stay out of that crossing with my wife tonight...

[VladtheImpaler]

Sorry for everyone involved, but Darwin is once again triumphant...