Thursday, March 23, 2006
D.C.: Dozing Operator Blamed in Rail Crash
Dozing Operator Blamed in Rail Crash
2004 Collision Crippled Red Line
By Lena H. Sun
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 24, 2006; Page A01
The operator of the runaway Metro train that rolled backward for 78 seconds and slammed into another train at the Woodley Park Station in November 2004 failed to brake because he was very likely asleep, federal safety officials said yesterday.
The crash, which occurred in the middle of the day, injured about 20 people and caused about $3.5 million in damage. It hobbled the Red Line, the system's busiest, for days.
No one was killed, but investigators calculated that at least 79 would have died if the runaway train had been full of passengers.
"The only thing that kept this accident from being catastrophic was the time of day that it occurred," said Debbie Hersman, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board.
From the National Transportation Safety Board:
Report of Railroad Accident
Collision Between Two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Trains
at the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan Station
Washington, D.C., November 3, 2004
NTSB/RAR-06/01:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Press Release
2004 Collision Crippled Red Line
By Lena H. Sun
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 24, 2006; Page A01
The operator of the runaway Metro train that rolled backward for 78 seconds and slammed into another train at the Woodley Park Station in November 2004 failed to brake because he was very likely asleep, federal safety officials said yesterday.
The crash, which occurred in the middle of the day, injured about 20 people and caused about $3.5 million in damage. It hobbled the Red Line, the system's busiest, for days.
No one was killed, but investigators calculated that at least 79 would have died if the runaway train had been full of passengers.
"The only thing that kept this accident from being catastrophic was the time of day that it occurred," said Debbie Hersman, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board.
From the National Transportation Safety Board:
Report of Railroad Accident
Collision Between Two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Trains
at the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan Station
Washington, D.C., November 3, 2004
NTSB/RAR-06/01:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Press Release
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