3 ms·

For reference, this is the crash referenced by the article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Oxnard_train_derailment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Oxnard

• tialaramex 7y ago
  > Funding, however, remained unavailable in Ventura County for the estimated $35 million grade separation project. That's the key line in that article. Adding it to Google Maps doesn't fix this. Putting up a sign that says "No idiot, don't turn here" doesn't fix this. Better driver training doesn't fix this. Better working time rules (the driver was "severely fatigued") doesn't fix this. Grade separation fixes this.
  • ApolloFortyNine 7y ago
    According to the Bureau of Transportation, there are 211,631 at grade crossings in the US [1]. At $35 million a crossing, that's $7.4 trillion. [1] https://www.bts.gov/content/highway-rail-grade-crossings-type https://www.bts.gov/content/highway-rail-grade-crossings-typ...
• userbinator 7y ago
  ...and then got stuck on the tracks: The truck driver is reported to have driven along the tracks having turned too early before the intersection at Fifth Street and then having gotten his wheels jammed in the tracks from which he was then unable to extricate it. It's a little surprising, since you'd think a truck would be high enough to clear the rails, or that he would immediately realise and try to reverse back into the intersection, but I guess panic set in.
  • coryrc 7y ago
    They're bedded in gravel, wouldn't take much to bottom out on the tracks.