Over 1,000 afternoon commuters were shaken earlier this month when the LIRR train they were riding on collided with a tractor-trailer truck. The collision occurred just before 6 PM as commuters were attempting to make their ways home. While there was surely some emotional trauma and perhaps some minor bumps and bruises, there were no serious injuries reported as a result of this latest train accident in New York.
While that’s good news, it’s far from the norm. Indeed, a spokesperson from the railway told media outlets that any time there’s a collision between a vehicle and a train the driver (and passengers) of the vehicle and the conductor of the train almost always end up seriously injured-sometimes fatally so.
Reports from the scene of this train accident in New York appear to show that the truck became stuck on the tracks after cars pulled up behind it and refused to move out of the way as the 18-wheeler attempted to back off the tracks. The driver of the truck dove from the vehicle an instant before the train smashed into the truck, likely saving his own life. Indeed, pictures show the mangled mess of twisted metal that was the truck’s cab and it’s hard to imagine anyone inside walking away from such an impact.
Investigators will no doubt be looking into the circumstances immediately surrounding this crash in order to determine how the truck ended up on the tracks and why it couldn’t get off in time to get away from the train.
Thousands of commuters take the trains and subways that crisscross New York City every day. And while train/vehicle collisions and derailments are not common, they can be deadly when they do occur. If you or a loved one has been injured while riding public transit, contact an experienced New York City train accident attorney to safeguard your rights as a victim. Call The Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel at 800-734-9338 or 212-385-1122 right now.