[Article] Man killed as train hits car in Mayo

Ste.phen

From http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0228/mayo.html?boardsie

A man in his 60s has been killed in an accident at a railway level crossing in Co Mayo.

He was the driver of a car which was struck by a train on the outskirts of Straide at around 11am.

muletide

Poor man RIP.

From watching the news it seems like someone fu<ked up- they said on the news that the gates were left open and on the clip they looked like normal farm gates. So what I was wondering was whether someone (IE employee) forgot to close them for that specific crossing - if so then surely they deserve to be charged with some form of manslaughter.

Also if the above circumstances are true, then the clip you added is a bit out of order as it was hardly that mans fault.

Ste.phen

Also if the above circumstances are true, then the clip you added is a bit out of order as it was hardly that mans fault.

Agreed. The story implies that neither the car driver nor train driver were at fault, I'll remove the Top Gear clip. Sorry about that, I assumed it was a LUAS-esque case of someone running the light and getting hit by a train with obvious right-of-way.

afatbollix

there is no lights or is it a manned crossing.. what you are sapost to do is stop open the gates get back in your car drive over the tracks and then close them. most of the time they are left open and cars just drive through with out even looking... this in most likely is what happened...

Nostradamus

It was an unmanned level crossing, but with loads of signs telling drivers about it. It's hard to say what happened, just horrible accident.

I live about half the year in New England and there are tons of level crossings there all over the place and nearly all unmanned and ungated. The train engineers always blow the horn before approaching a crossing. I am not sure if this law is the same here in Ireland, but it is a good idea. But even with that, people, especially older ones can have hearing problems and it's not always fail safe either.

Level crossing accidents have been with us as long as trains and private car drivers meet and always will be. The rail companies can only do so much. It's a sad reality unfortunately.

RIP

John R

muletide wrote: »

Poor man RIP.

From watching the news it seems like someone fu<ked up- they said on the news that the gates were left open and on the clip they looked like normal farm gates. So what I was wondering was whether someone (IE employee) forgot to close them for that specific crossing - if so then surely they deserve to be charged with some form of manslaughter.

It is an un-manned crossing of the type that are only put on very lightly used backroads intersecting branchlines. The road users are responsible for safe crossing and for opening/closing the gates.

January

I've seen a lot of those "farm gates" on my way to Claremorris a lot. Usually the train sounds it's horn when it's approaching one of these gates. Maybe the man didn't hear it or, he missed it... RIP

lostexpectation

I cannot perceive not seeing a train coming

Wishbone Ash

Am I the only one who thinks it may have been deliberate, i.e. sucicide? In many similar type incidents, the vehicle is driven up onto the tracks and stopped just as the train approaches.

D'Peoples Voice

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Am I the only one who thinks it may have been deliberate, i.e. sucicide? In many similar type incidents, the vehicle is driven up onto the tracks and stopped just as the train approaches.

I believe he's a martyr for the protest to stop the WRC being built! This is what happens when you build a light used railway line with so many level crossings!

You'd think the train would have swerved to avoid him:D
I love when people instantly think the train driver was some way blameable, he's driving a vehicle that is stuck running on two metal rods, although one driver managed recently to deviate from the metal rods:rolleyes:(http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mheymhsnsnid/)