Edmonds, Washington – Driver Injured After Car Gets Sideswiped by Train

Edmonds, Washington (February 4, 2020) – A driver was injured after his car was sideswiped by a southbound tanker train on Tuesday morning. According to the article from KOMO News, an 82 year-old man from Edmonds was driving at a private access road adjacent to the tracks when his vehicle was struck. The man was able to exit his vehicle and get onto Dayton Street, where he was found by officers. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment of undisclosed injuries. No other injuries were reported in the incident.

The incident occurred around 5:15 a.m. The collision caused the train to stop, blocking access to the Edmonds ferry terminal and shutting down the route to Kingston. However, the tracks were cleared by 7:10 a.m., which allowed services to continue as usual.

About Train Accidents

While train accidents can be deadly, they are among the safest forms of transportation, with a fatality rate much lower than car or motorcycle accidents. Derailments, which can lead to many train-related accidents, are said to be common but are most likely harmless, with trains only causing damage or injuries if the derailment causes the train to crash into a structure or another train. However, while riding the train is relatively safe, a collision with one is likely to be deadly. This is because trains can weigh over millions of pounds. According to the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, the average freight train consisting of 100 cars can weigh from 12 million to twenty million pounds – this weight combined with the speed of a train can cause great impact. Additionally, this weight also delays the effect of an emergency brake, which may need distance of over a mile to fully halt a train. Because of this, it is important to always remain alert near railroads.

While trains have many safety features, it is everyone’s responsibility to be safe around tracks. Keeping in mind that trains cannot swerve nor quickly stop, so pedestrians and drivers alike must take care to keep off tracks when a rain is approaching. Never underestimate the speed of an oncoming train, which may look like it’s approaching slowly due to optical illusions. Lastly, one must always watch out for the presence of a second train. By keeping alert and following regulations, we can help avoid train accidents from happening.

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Note: The exact location of the crash has not been reported.