Eastern Railroad Discussion > Big rig driver critically injured in train crash--Cocoa, FL

A big rig driver was critically injured and two others were hurt Monday morning when a train and tractor-trailer collided in Brevard County, officials said.

The crash was reported around 11:45 a.m. at U.S. 1 and Beau Geste Road near Cocoa.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers said the railroad crossing signals went off and the arms went down, but the driver of the big rig drove around them and onto the tracks.

Troopers said the cab and trailer of the big rig separated from the truck and came to a stop after hitting a nearby junction box. The train became derailed after the crash, officials said.

Cocoa police said the big rig driver was ejected in the crash. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition, police said.

The train conductor and an engineer were also taken to a nearby hospital, according to police.


https://www.clickorlando.com/traffic/train-tractor-trailer-collide-in-brevard-county

Is this the first collision and derailment involving the LNG powered locomotive. How did the LNG supply car make out? Most main line FEC trains are said to be powered by LNG locomotives.

PlyWoody Wrote:
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> Is this the first collision and derailment
> involving the LNG powered locomotive. How did the
> LNG supply car make out? Most main line FEC
> trains are said to be powered by LNG locomotives.

No LNG locomotive / fuel tender were involved. The train was local 915 and the locomotive was #508. The locomotive stayed upright, according to the pics I saw.

Andrew

Time for insurance companies to come down hard on violators involving RR crossings, pending survival of course !

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

Assuming the newspaper article is accurate, which admittedly is a big assumption, how could a big rig driver be so utterly stupid?

RNP47 Wrote:
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> Assuming the newspaper article is accurate, which
> admittedly is a big assumption, how could a big
> rig driver be so utterly stupid?


You would be amazed. Google Paoli bridge accident. I find it increasingly difficult to defend my proffesion.

Posted from Android

Doug Wetherhold
Macungie, PA

RNP47 Wrote:
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> Assuming the newspaper article is accurate, which
> admittedly is a big assumption, how could a big
> rig driver be so utterly stupid?

Not defending the driver, but going around the gates is much more common in FL than in NJ, for example. I see it occasionally. It's apparently not a violation likely to draw the attention of a deputy.

There are a number of FEC crossings where the gates will come down as a switcher shuffles cars in sight, but it won't cross the roadway. Gates go down, gates go up, gates go down again as the switcher hits the contact point. People look both ways, then go around the gates. There's even an alternating courtesy.

(A driver became a hood ornament on an ES44 in 2015 when this happened in Port Salerno. Middle of the night, gates went down. He could see a slow moving train to his left. So, he went around the gates. And was clobbered by a fast moving northbound train. The slow moving freight was in the siding, pulling down to the switch.)

RNP47 Wrote:
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> Assuming the newspaper article is accurate, which
> admittedly is a big assumption, how could a big
> rig driver be so utterly stupid?

They go to school and become seasoned professionals in 30 days.

Posted from Android

Doug Wetherhold
Macungie, PA

Just a little fyi the tractor separated from the trailer other than the hood the tractor remained intact sort of. Had to look at the pix to see what was going on.

ALCO630 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RNP47 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Assuming the newspaper article is accurate,
> which
> > admittedly is a big assumption, how could a big
> > rig driver be so utterly stupid?

> Google Paoli bridge accident.


...or go see http://11foot8.com/

> I find it increasingly difficult to defend my proffesion.

>
> They go to school and become seasoned
> professionals in 30 days.
>

It's not just your profession. Actually, I think we are getting to be somewhere beyond having professions at all. It is all just jobs, expending the least possible effort for the most possible money.

TAW

Look at the number of convenience stores which dispense change automatically. The clerk types in the amount of money presented, the screen tells them how many bills to hand back, and the dispenser issues coins.

Skill sets are eroding rapidly.

Now reporting that the driver has died.

Posted from iPhone

howeld Wrote:
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> Now reporting that the driver has died.
>
> Posted from iPhone


Glad to hear that!

Uncle Joe

ALCO630 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RNP47 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Assuming the newspaper article is accurate,
> which
> > admittedly is a big assumption, how could a big
> > rig driver be so utterly stupid?
>
> They go to school and become seasoned
> professionals in 30 days.
>
> Posted from Android


Yes.

That's one reason why some drivers are up-skilling to get their haz-mat etc tickets. My wife's nephew drives for a chemical transporter.

Extremely good money, home 5 nights a week. The company pays for continuing ed, qualifications, etc. He could be home 7 nights a week if he was willing to pass up a lucrative, once weekly long haul.

They can't control the jackasses he'll meet on the road, but they can be sure his equipment is maintained, he's well rested, etc. If he has a serious accident, you'll see it on the news that night.

Back to the original question... the LNG tank looks to be virtually the same as an intermodal/marine container configuration installed in a container well car.

The tank and suspension is extremely rugged and well designed. Tank containers like this have been in service for at least 30 years, designs are well documented and reliable. I had a road carrier roll one off I-80 in Wyoming that flipped on its side and skidded about 100 feet and still retained integrity.

TAW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ALCO630 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > RNP47 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Assuming the newspaper article is accurate,
> > which
> > > admittedly is a big assumption, how could a
> big
> > > rig driver be so utterly stupid?
>
> > Google Paoli bridge accident.
>
>
> ...or go see http://11foot8.com/
>
> > I find it increasingly difficult to defend my
> profession.
>
> >
> > They go to school and become seasoned
> > professionals in 30 days.
> >
>
> It's not just your profession. Actually, I think
> we are getting to be somewhere beyond having
> professions at all. It is all just jobs, expending
> the least possible effort for the most possible
> money.
>
> TAW

The way we are going, we won't have the skills need to wash the windows on the capsule let alone engineer a program to get a man to the moon.

TAW said it ALL:

It is all just jobs, expending the least possible effort for the most possible money.

The Perfect description for most CEOs and upper management personnel!

Unfortunately, very descriptive of TOO many people today!

Mike

retcsxcfm Wrote:
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> howeld Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Now reporting that the driver has died.
> >
> > Posted from iPhone
>
>
> Glad to hear that!
>
> Uncle Joe

Being a stupid driver is one thing however, glad to hear the driver has died, what's wrong with you??????????????? So the next time you do something to get badly injured we should hope that you die?

retcsxcfm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> howeld Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Now reporting that the driver has died.
> >
> > Posted from iPhone
>
>
> Glad to hear that!
>
> Uncle Joe

Glad to know you have made it very clear to everyone that you are a GOD. The rest of us humble subjects will contnue on with our normal non-perfect life.

Actually, just to make it clear, you must be one sick person to think it is good to hear someone died in an accident, irregardelss of who is at fault.

2720 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TAW said it ALL:
>
> It is all just jobs, expending the least possible
> effort for the most possible money.
>
> The Perfect description for most CEOs and upper
> management personnel!
>
> Unfortunately, very descriptive of TOO many people
> today!
>
> Mike



There are a lot of vacant fields where Ford, GM, Chrysler, American Motors, etc factories used to be. I remember when Ford told the Suffern Mahwah plant that their quality was crap compared to the other plants, some of which were older. The paper reported that the edict was issued, and some employees "mooned" the company. I remember thinking that was probably not the best way to respond to a quality complaint.

Erie-Lackawanna lost a major shipper when that plant shut down.