Advocacy & Safety - Happened by an accident site...

I just happened to be out riding on the SGRT yesterday just as all this (http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_12803624?source=rss)was going down. I even saw the Tribune press photographer shooting these shots with his telephoto. It just made me wonder, what goes through peoples minds when they try to beat a train, whether they are on a bike, on foot or in a car?

I hate hearing about these kinds of incidents...

I just happened to be out riding on the SGRT yesterday just as all this (http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_12803624?source=rss) It just made me wonder, what goes through peoples minds when they try to beat a train, whether they are on a bike, on foot or in a car?


The same thing that goes through their mind when they ignore red lights and stop signs. Peple rely on their perception of supernatural braking power or angels overhead. Neither are respected by Murphy and his law.

Cyclist hit by a train?

That's an accident you rarely hear about.

From the distance as I rode up I saw the medical helicopter coming down for a landing. I could tell that it was close to the bike path. Of course, my first thought was "I hope it's not another cycling injury".

Cyclist hit by a train?

That's an accident you rarely hear about.

there have been 2 (One bike, one razor scooter) in the last month in San Jose. both cases ignored the red lights. One person got hit by the train going the other way.....

Don't these kinds of trains move about 5mph or something? I remember waiting for a freight train to cross a long time ago and it took about an hour because of how slow and long it was.

Wouldn't seem out of this world for someone to want to beat this kinda train.

Don't these kinds of trains move about 5mph or something? ... They go much faster than that along some stretches of track. The article reads as though he was riding along the tracks over a narrow bridge, which is a lot different than quickly dashing across the tracks.

I worked as a switchman for the Santa Fe Railroad in my younger days. Whenever we crossed a street, we would get up off the lower step on the front of the locomotive because so many drivers would 'run' the crossing gates. They assumed the train would stop. Even the yard motors with only eight to ten cars behind it would take quite a distance to stop.

I concluded that it was just Darwins theory at work; The non-survival of the unfit. bk

Darwin, yup.... Survival of the stupidest seems to have been the goal of gov't for the past three decades, but these things trump that.

NOBODY'S time is THAT important...not even mine!

Metrolink again? You'd think their F59's and Bombardier bi-levels were cursed.

-Kurt

I believe that he was riding the same direction as the train trying to beat it across a bridge and ended up becoming trapped and squeezed into the siding. I don't think those freight trains are Metrolink, but I'm not sure. There's a large concentration of homeless and transients under and around the bridges along the multi use path.

I believe that he was riding the same direction as the train trying to beat it across a bridge and ended up becoming trapped and squeezed into the siding. I don't think those freight trains are Metrolink, but I'm not sure. There's a large concentration of homeless and transients under and around the bridges along the multi use path.

This explanation - whether your version or that of the press release - makes very, very little sense. Is that to say he was riding over the ties/sleepers, or on the roadbed? Or was he riding alongside and attempted to run across the ROW?

UP and BNSF are the major freight carriers over there IIRC, and they own the lines to boot. Metrolink is simply a commuter agency, such as Caltrain, Altamont Commuter Express, and Coaster. That said, I fixated on the presence of that Metrolink passing by the aftermath in the included photo. If this fellow was hit by freight, it was either UP or BNSF.

-Kurt

If you look at pictures 6 and 8 you can get a better idea of where he was...most likely riding alongside the track (there are "footpaths" leading down to where people congregate).

*This isn't where "normal" bicycle traffic would be..he appeared to be one of the local "transients".

Oh, I was told by one of his friends that he was squeezed up against the side...

I didn't see it happen so I'm only speculating. I'm assuming he was making his way either to or from one of the paths that lead to underneath. To get to those from the street level you have to cross the bridge.