KPRC-2 has updated an earlier story on this morning’s light rail crash, and is running the ominous headline “Police Not Sure Who To Blame For METRORail Crash“
The driver contends that he entered an intersection on a green light, only to be sideswiped by the tram.
After previous collisions, Metro police rushed to the scene and lectured Houston drivers on safety.
This time, police aren’t assigning blame so quickly:
[Motorist Robert] Oden said the cameras at the intersection and on the train would show what really happened.
“They have cameras up and down this route strictly for something like this,” Oden said.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation. If Oden is ticketed for the accident, he will also be responsible for repairing the damaged train.
METRO told Local 2 that since the light-rail system began operating in November 2003, there have been about 70 accidents. They also said that out of those 70 accidents, only one train operator has been held responsible for the collision.
That would be 75, for those scoring at home.
UPDATE (01-27-2005): A Chronicle blurb indicates Metro is now blaming the motorist:
Two MetroRail passengers were taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital complaining of minor injuries after a car crashed into the train they were riding in the Museum District Wednesday morning. Metro spokesman Ken Connaughton said the car was eastbound on Hermann just after 10 a.m. when it ran a red light and struck the southbound train on Fannin. It was the third collision on the Main Street light rail line this year.
It seems clear from other reports that the train hit the car, although it is unclear whether the car was in the intersection legally. Even if it were in the intersection illegally, writing that the car “crashed into the train” seems purposely backwards. The newspaper should not bend factual descriptions to fit its pro-rail agenda.
KHOU-11 posts a story and video of the crash here.
