5 teens die in car-train crash in Canton Township

[Faygo Kid]

Source: Detroit Free Press

Police say five teens are dead after they drove around a crossing gate and were hit by an Amtrak passenger train this afternoon.

“It’s very tragic, certainly for the family and friends of the people of the people in the vehicle, but also for our crew,” Chicago-based Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said. “There’s nothing they can do … to stop vehicles from disregarding warnings about an approaching train.”

He said there were no indications of any malfunction on the train before the collision at 12:10 p.m.

Witnesses said the teens were headed northbound on Hannon Road between Michigan Avenue and Van Born when they went around crossing gates lowered at the railroad tracks, Canton Township Police Sgt. Craig Wilsher said.

The train pushed the teens’ car 150 feet to the Lotz Road crossing, and the victims were dead at the scene, he added. No one has reported problems with the crossing gates recently, Wilsher said. . .

Read more: http://www.freep.com/article/20090709/NEWS02/90709061/5+teens+die+in+car-train+crash+in+Canton+Township

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Canton Township is a suburb west of Detroit. Tough story. Stupid thing to do, but those are five young lives snuffed out.

So sorry for the families and the community.

[WriteDown]

1. Geez...

Those gates are there for a reason!

[FredMertz]

11. I remember hearing once..

that in Europe the train gates come down from both the left and right sides of the road. This makes it impossible to drive around them. Maybe we should do that here in the U.S.

[YOY]

2. You know. The drivers of those trains have to get counseling afterwards.

Always voluntary...they cannot stop on a dime. They know someone is going to get hit. They cannot do a thing as someone dies in front of their eyes...be it suicide, accident, or stupidity.

[undeterred]

3. Thats horrible.

A similar incident happened in the St. Louis area when I was in high school and all 5 were killed. Teen driver, too many kids in the car, alcohol.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

4. I don't think there's an Amtrak station near Canton

so that train would have been moving at a good clip. No way to stop, or even slow down much.

Just sad, thinking of one moronic driver and his four horrified passengers.

[Journeyman]

5. Maybe it's because I drove a Volkswagen bug for so many years when I was young. . .

but I yield to everything that moves, from pedestrians and cyclists to sedans and semis. I can't begin to fathom why anyone would challenge a train. But then, teens are invincible and expect to live forever. So sad, for the families, the community, and the railway workers who will live with this the rest of their days.

[liberal N proud]

6. Car train accidents are so gruesome

Anyone who has ever seen one remembers it.

This is a good example why that many kids in a car is always a bad idea, 5 young lives lost, one train engineer has to live with that image.

[downindixie]

7. Trians and cars should never be able

occupy the same space.All crossing should have an overpass.

[brendan120678]

12. Or at least...

a big gate that comes down and blocks the roadway with a loud dinging bell and flashing red lights.

Oh wait....

[Libertas1776]

8. something like this happened in the early 80's

near me where a van with ten teens inside went around the gate and got slammed by a commuter train. Only one survived I think. And who gets blamed? the railroad. The parents and other advocates want most of the grade crossings gone. The crossing where the tragic incident occurred has since been converted into an overpass after years of debate. Of course, with hundreds of crossings its just not feasible to change all the crossings to overpasses because certain drivers like to tempt fate so they're not late.
Its so sad that because of one impatient driver, 8 others or in this story's case, 4 others have to die.

Sometimes the railroad is at fault, but most of the time its the driver.

[kiva]

9. I'll add a sorry to the train crew.

My brother has worked for rail companies for 25+ years, and this is one of the things he dreads the most.

[Blue_Tires]

10. pretty fucking stupid, but still tragic nonetheless....

[slackmaster]

13. Parents, teach your kids the Gross Vehicle Weight Rule a.k.a. the Lug Nut Rule

The heavier vehicle, or the one with the most lug nuts, always has the right of way.

[Rebubula]

14. Not just Teens...

...this happens in Rockville, MD (Randolph Road - just east of 355) about once a year.

People are stupid and it sucks that their stupidity has to cost other people so much grief and trauma.

I feel badly for the four other people in the car and for all of their families - but not the driver. Not at all.

[Festivito]

15. Family a few houses down from a friend of mine.

About a hundred people have gathered. TV crews were there. People had moved into the area only a few months ago.

The road in the story should be Hannan not Hannon.

Sad and disheartening.

[PassingFair]

16. The driver was a straight-up murderer.

I get a headache thinking about
the plight of the other kids.

They were trapped.