One Metro train slammed into the back of another on the Red Line at the height of the evening rush yesterday, killing at least seven people and injuring more than 70 others in the deadliest accident in Metrorail's 33-year-history.
D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty said this morning that seven people were confirmed dead in the crash, and two others remain in critical condition after being hospitalized overnight. He said rescue crews were using heavy equipment to search through the crushed rail cars for any possible remaining victims, and hoped to be able to say definitively by late afternoon whether there were additional casualties.
D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin said cadaver dogs were also being used, and the wooded areas on either side of the tracks had been thoroughly searched for any surviving or dead victims. Earlier media reports had put the death toll as high as nine. A total of 76 people were taken to hospitals for treatment of injuries that ranged from minor to critical.
The impact of the crash was so powerful that the trailing train was left atop the first train. Witnesses told stories of rescues and people helping others amid the chaos. Firefighters had to use heavy rescue equipment to cut open the cars to reach people trapped inside.
The investigation will continue today, shutting down some parts of the Red Line and MARC commuter rail's Brunswick line. Officials advised the public to brace for a difficult commute, and those who boarded Red Line trains early today said they were traveling at a maximum speed of 35 miles per hour, significantly slower than usual.
D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin said cadaver dogs were also being used, and the wooded areas on either side of the tracks had been thoroughly searched for any surviving or dead victims. Earlier media reports had put the death toll as high as nine. A total of 76 people were taken to hospitals for treatment of injuries that ranged from minor to critical.
The impact of the crash was so powerful that the trailing train was left atop the first train. Witnesses told stories of rescues and people helping others amid the chaos. Firefighters had to use heavy rescue equipment to cut open the cars to reach people trapped inside.
The investigation will continue today, shutting down some parts of the Red Line and MARC commuter rail's Brunswick line. Officials advised the public to brace for a difficult commute, and those who boarded Red Line trains early today said they were traveling at a maximum speed of 35 miles per hour, significantly slower than usual.
A member of the National Transportation Safety Board said the front train was comprised of more modern rail cars than the striking train. As a result, only the struck train is expected to have been equipped with data recorders. "We don't expect to get any information" off the older-model train, said Debbie Hersman, member of the NTSB board.
One of the dead was Jeanice McMillan, 42, of Springfield, the operator of the train that rear-ended another stopped in front of it just outside the Fort Totten station in Northeast Washington, Metro officials said.
No one answered the phone last night at McMillan's home.
D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said the identities of the dead are still being confirmed, and their relatives being notified. Their names will not be released until that process is completed, she said.
The crash occurred just after 5 p.m., and traffic on the train lines and highways was severely affected.
Metro, like all transit agencies, is supposed to have numerous safety systems in place to prevent crashes, and it was not clear what caused yesterday's accident. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash and has assigned a railroad investigator and two specialists from its office of transportation disaster assistance. The Metro board is scheduled to hold a special meeting at 2 p.m. today.
Although the investigation is just beginning, certain systems are designed to prevent an accident like yesterday's. During morning and afternoon rush hours, all trains except longer eight-car trains typically operate in automatic mode, meaning their movements are controlled by computerized systems and the central Operations Control Center. Both trains in yesterday's crash were six-car trains. But officials would not say whether the trains were in automatic mode or being operated manually.
One of the dead was Jeanice McMillan, 42, of Springfield, the operator of the train that rear-ended another stopped in front of it just outside the Fort Totten station in Northeast Washington, Metro officials said.
No one answered the phone last night at McMillan's home.
D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said the identities of the dead are still being confirmed, and their relatives being notified. Their names will not be released until that process is completed, she said.
The crash occurred just after 5 p.m., and traffic on the train lines and highways was severely affected.
Metro, like all transit agencies, is supposed to have numerous safety systems in place to prevent crashes, and it was not clear what caused yesterday's accident. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash and has assigned a railroad investigator and two specialists from its office of transportation disaster assistance. The Metro board is scheduled to hold a special meeting at 2 p.m. today.
Although the investigation is just beginning, certain systems are designed to prevent an accident like yesterday's. During morning and afternoon rush hours, all trains except longer eight-car trains typically operate in automatic mode, meaning their movements are controlled by computerized systems and the central Operations Control Center. Both trains in yesterday's crash were six-car trains. But officials would not say whether the trains were in automatic mode or being operated manually.
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