Luas Crash, O'Connell Street.

AIR-AUSSIE

Close up

Looks very rough.

Oliver1985

Was there anyone on the bus? Just looking there Jesus that could have been bad!

Morpheus

latest from RTE says 15 injured, 3 seriously and LUAS driver was cut free but no word on his condition. fingers crossed everyone is ok.

Just wondering, (hypothetically as the blame cannot be apportioned until an investigation is completed) could a LUAS break a STOP signal?

Had assumed that there would be some kind of mechanism, electrical or otherwise that would prevent a LUAS from moving until it had a GO signal?

Agent Smith

hope everyone's ok.


I'm sure the no side will find a way of blaming this on lisbon...

Oliver1985

Morphéus wrote: »

latest from RTE says 15 injured, 3 seriously and LUAS driver was cut free but no word on his condition. fingers crossed everyone is ok.

Just wondering, (hypothetically as the blame cannot be apportioned until an investigation is completed) could a LUAS break a STOP signal?

Had assumed that there would be some kind of mechanism, electrical or otherwise that would prevent a LUAS from moving until it had a GO signal?

As far as i know if a Luas is to pass a stop signal at danger it will only let him do it at a reduced speed! Not jumping ahead but the bus could have broken the light! We will just have to see!! Hope everyone is ok!

stop

One of the ads leading into the news on today fm at 5 there was for dublin bus.. Don Draper would have had that pulled..

mark renton

20 quid says the bus ran the red

PCPhoto

Agent Smith wrote: »

hope everyone's ok.


I'm sure the no side will find a way of blaming this on lisbon...

WTF .... stop trying to bring lisbon into this.... its a fruckin' accident...people are hurt.

BrianD

Gaspode wrote: »

Cripes, looks nasty. Isnt it amazing though how quickly pics end up on the net? I didnt even bother going to the RTE news website, Boards is the place get the news from these days!

Actually, Twitter is! Have a search under #luas. two regular Twitters live at O'Connell Bridge with a birds eye view and were able to get photos and updates out from their front window!

Red Sleeping Beauty

That looks really bad. It's not a very good junction there and I'm always very careful crossing Abbey St. just in case.

The 16 is one of the longest Dublin Bus routes from Nutgrove to Dublin Airport.

Agent Smith

PCPhoto wrote: »

WTF .... stop trying to bring lisbon into this.... its a fruckin' accident...people are hurt.

#


Just a bit of humor!

Mad_Max

Have there been any updates on the conditions of the critical?

Agent Smith wrote: »

#


Just a bit of humor!

Just my own taste but I'd have said political "humor" in this thread isn't really humorous.

Posy

I saw it earlier on on Abbey Street and if nobody has been killed it'll be a miracle. The whole front drivers section of the luas had gone straight through the bus and was completely crumpled. I hope everyone has survived. Not a good week for Dublin City Centre's roads at all.

Oliver1985

I wonder was there track damage im sure there was wonder will things be back on in the morning!! If not its a walk to smithfield!! Once again hope all involved are ok!!

lncarosello

Video taken about an hour after the collision.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pogZaFir3X8

auroraboring

I was on Middle Abbey Street when it happened. No where in media does it mention the Gardi. A few Garda Cars were speeding down Middle Abbey Street from O'Connell street, unmarked and marked cars. They were going really fast, so much so that people went out onto the street where they were driving to if maybe something had happened at liffey Street end of Abbey). One unmarked car was speeding as it drove backwards towards O'Connell and just within those moments the bus has gone through a red light and Luas ran into it. Maybe the Gardi scared the bus driver?

Sherifu

auroraboring wrote: »

I was on Middle Abbey Street when it happened. No where in media does it mention the Gardi. A few Garda Cars were speeding down Middle Abbey Street from O'Connell street, unmarked and marked cars. They were going really fast, so much so that people went out onto the street where they were driving to if maybe something had happened at liffey Street end of Abbey). One unmarked car was speeding as it drove backwards towards O'Connell and just within those moments the bus has gone through a red light and Luas ran into it. Maybe the Gardi scared the bus driver?

Great first post.

Red Sleeping Beauty

auroraboring wrote: »

I was on Middle Abbey Street when it happened. No where in media does it mention the Gardi. A few Garda Cars were speeding down Middle Abbey Street from O'Connell street, unmarked and marked cars. They were going really fast, so much so that people went out onto the street where they were driving to if maybe something had happened at liffey Street end of Abbey). One unmarked car was speeding as it drove backwards towards O'Connell and just within those moments the bus has gone through a red light and Luas ran into it. Maybe the Gardi scared the bus driver?

And this all happened before the crash ?

dhaslam

It just shows the danger of having heavy vehicles with practically no brakes in a busy city centre. It is just unacceptable. They should be limited to the outskirts of the city or go underground.

c0mpliant

auroraboring wrote: »

I was on Middle Abbey Street when it happened. No where in media does it mention the Gardi. A few Garda Cars were speeding down Middle Abbey Street from O'Connell street, unmarked and marked cars. They were going really fast, so much so that people went out onto the street where they were driving to if maybe something had happened at liffey Street end of Abbey). One unmarked car was speeding as it drove backwards towards O'Connell and just within those moments the bus has gone through a red light and Luas ran into it. Maybe the Gardi scared the bus driver?

Even if this is the case, the driver should not put the vehicle somewhere fundementally unsafe. Still a very interesting development if this is true!

dimbodoyle

thing is they work with little incident elsewhere in the world, why is it such a problem here?

Messed Up Mind

auroraboring wrote: »

I was on Middle Abbey Street when it happened. No where in media does it mention the Gardi. A few Garda Cars were speeding down Middle Abbey Street from O'Connell street, unmarked and marked cars. They were going really fast, so much so that people went out onto the street where they were driving to if maybe something had happened at liffey Street end of Abbey). One unmarked car was speeding as it drove backwards towards O'Connell and just within those moments the bus has gone through a red light and Luas ran into it. Maybe the Gardi scared the bus driver?

Thank you! I work on O'Connell Street and heard the whole thing happening. Garda cars roar up and down this street every day dealing with junkies with very little regard for those already on the road. I heard exactly the same time as you did, that the bus went with the Garda cars as it thought it was safe to go. Mentioned it to a reporter at the scene to set the story straight but it has not been mentioned in the media. The garda car got off scott free and there are 3 people critically injured right now. Thankfully there's a load of CCTV cameras in the area that may have caught the events unfolding.

Just to rant a little bit too, I was really disgusted at the amount of people taking photos on their phones etc., immediately after the accident. No one was even trying to help people off the tram or bus or give them water or get them cups of tea or anything. I ran out to try and help the second I heard the bang without a second thought and thought many others would have too...

Posy

Yes, I also heard the Garda Cars just before the crash. They were going full speed towards the Jervis Street direction. I was speculating with a friend who was in the vicinity earlier on if they may have distracted the bus driver. Suppose this will all be investigated in the coming days..

Posy

Messed Up Mind wrote: »

I ran out to try and help the second I heard the band without a second thought and thought many others would have too...

There was a gang of tourists laughing and taking photos. Sick. Who'd want something like that in their holiday snaps!?

Relevant

Messed Up Mind wrote: »

Thank you! I work on O'Connell Street and heard the whole thing happening. Garda cars roar up and down this street every day dealing with junkies with very little regard for those already on the road. I heard exactly the same time as you did, that the bus went with the Garda cars as it thought it was safe to go. Mentioned it to a reporter at the scene to set the story straight but it has not been mentioned in the media. The garda car got off scott free and there are 3 people critically injured right now. Thankfully there's a load of CCTV cameras in the area that may have caught the events unfolding.

The gardai were attending an emergency I would assume. From your account of events the bus followed the gardai through a red light. The gardai are entitled to break red lights if the situation requires it. I do not see how this takes away from potentially being the responsibility of the bus driver

Posy

Relevant wrote: »

I do not see how this takes away from potentially being the responsibility of the bus driver

Naturally it doesn't. Just like you can't follow the first car waiting at a box junction you obviously can't follow an emergency vehicle through a red light. We are just trying to piece together the events that led to such a terrible thing happening and a possible explanation as opposed to proportioning blame or responsibility, which, of course is the job of the authorities and accident investigators.

Relevant

Posy wrote: »

Naturally it doesn't. Just like you can't follow the first car waiting at a box junction you obviously can't follow an emergency vehicle through a red light. We are just trying to piece together the events that led to such a terrible thing happening and a possible explanation as opposed to proportioning blame or responsibility, which, of course is the job of the authorities and accident investigators.

While you may not have been may i direct you to this line from Messed up Mind:

The garda car got off scott free and there are 3 people critically injured right now.

Posy

Indeed.
I'm sure the Garda cars didn't get off scott free anyway, I assume they had to go to where the emergency was they had been called to. As someone has pointed out, there's a LOT of CCTV cameras and eye witnesses so I'm sure the cause of the accident will become clear.
For now my thoughts are with those critically injured in hospital right now and my pity with those who think standing around taking pictures is a decent way to act after a traffic accident. :rolleyes:

Messed Up Mind

I think you must have misinterpreted my post. What I meant was that the Garda car got away unscathed although it may have been the catalyst of the accident while three people were left with serious injuries on both the bus and luas. Other people have mentioned this on other threads regarding this matter.

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=62142572#post62142572

center15 wrote: »

A friend of mine where there when the crash happened. A special branch Garda car was speeding down the street the wrong way and the bus stopped to let it pass and the Luas crashed into it.

Posy

Messed Up Mind wrote: »

What I meant was that the Garda car got away unscathed although it may have been the catalyst of the accident while three people were left with serious injuries on both the bus and luas.

Yes, I see your point. Sure I'm sure it will all become clear in the cold light of day. Yes, I see that other post about the garda car going the wrong way. I'm pretty sceptical of that to be honest but if they were in the wrong the closed circut cameras will tell the whole story anyway. Wonder will the Gardai aspect be mentioned in the printed media..?