Gloria's graduation. And accident that look like a breakdown
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My sister's graduation was on June 3rd. I recorded it and took pictures of Gloria with class mates and staff. She had a great time. We also witnessed a train accident that seemed like it was only a train malfunction from our point of view.
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My sister's graduation was on June 3rd. After picking up our mother, I was heading down Sample Rd towards Powerline Rd. As we were approaching the rail road, the barriers came down and we both thought "Hopefully it isn't a slow moving freight train, or we will miss the graduation." After the barriers came down, we heard the train sound its horn frantically as it approached. As the Amtrak train came through the intersection, its breaks were screeching. It stopped across the train crossing, and conductors came out of the train and walked around while talking on cell phones. We thought to ourselves "Just our luck, now we are going to miss her graduation because of a train malfunction." We were forced to wait... and wait... and wait. After a while I saw people backing up and going through a break in the median. After some reverse driving and courteous motorists, I was detouring over another crossing and made it to the graduation.
We arrived on time, and the graduation went great. Being that it is a very small school, and most kids leave with "special diploma" instead, it was only a graduating class of 5. Each graduate had a staff member be a representative that spoke fondly of the student. Gloria's favorite teacher, a science teacher named Carla Rodey, was her representative. I recorded the whole graduation and took pictures at the gathering afterward. There was cake and soda, and framed pictures of the graduates that the families could take home. Gloria posed for pictures with teachers, counselors, and fellow graduates. My sister said it was the happiest day of her life.
Today, I read an online news article that explained what had happened that day. At the Tri-Rail (tri-county commuter trains) stations, it is common practice for riders to sometimes have to cross to the platform on the other side, just minutes before the train arrives. Some stations have pedestrian bridges, but some require riders to walk across the tracks. At the station a couple hundred feet from the railroad crossing, there was no bridge and riders were once again told to cross. Several riders including 87 year old Yetta Milner, started crossing the tracks. Yetta was moving slowly across the tracks when an Amtrak train started to approach. The other riders tried shouting for her to go back, but, perhaps because she wore to hearing aides, she did not hear them or the train. The train slammed into her and sent her body flying. She did not survive the impact. The train stopped as soon as it could, but the damage was already done.
Its kind of strange to think that we technically saw the accident, but from our perspective it seemed to only be a train malfunction. We were upset that they stopped the train in the crossing instead of a little further down. We had no idea. I guess that goes to show you that you rarely ever know all the details of a situation.
My sister's graduation was on June 3rd. I recorded it and took pictures of Gloria with class mates and staff. She had a great time. We also witnessed a train accident that seemed like it was only a train malfunction from our point of view.
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My sister's graduation was on June 3rd. After picking up our mother, I was heading down Sample Rd towards Powerline Rd. As we were approaching the rail road, the barriers came down and we both thought "Hopefully it isn't a slow moving freight train, or we will miss the graduation." After the barriers came down, we heard the train sound its horn frantically as it approached. As the Amtrak train came through the intersection, its breaks were screeching. It stopped across the train crossing, and conductors came out of the train and walked around while talking on cell phones. We thought to ourselves "Just our luck, now we are going to miss her graduation because of a train malfunction." We were forced to wait... and wait... and wait. After a while I saw people backing up and going through a break in the median. After some reverse driving and courteous motorists, I was detouring over another crossing and made it to the graduation.
We arrived on time, and the graduation went great. Being that it is a very small school, and most kids leave with "special diploma" instead, it was only a graduating class of 5. Each graduate had a staff member be a representative that spoke fondly of the student. Gloria's favorite teacher, a science teacher named Carla Rodey, was her representative. I recorded the whole graduation and took pictures at the gathering afterward. There was cake and soda, and framed pictures of the graduates that the families could take home. Gloria posed for pictures with teachers, counselors, and fellow graduates. My sister said it was the happiest day of her life.
Today, I read an online news article that explained what had happened that day. At the Tri-Rail (tri-county commuter trains) stations, it is common practice for riders to sometimes have to cross to the platform on the other side, just minutes before the train arrives. Some stations have pedestrian bridges, but some require riders to walk across the tracks. At the station a couple hundred feet from the railroad crossing, there was no bridge and riders were once again told to cross. Several riders including 87 year old Yetta Milner, started crossing the tracks. Yetta was moving slowly across the tracks when an Amtrak train started to approach. The other riders tried shouting for her to go back, but, perhaps because she wore to hearing aides, she did not hear them or the train. The train slammed into her and sent her body flying. She did not survive the impact. The train stopped as soon as it could, but the damage was already done.
Its kind of strange to think that we technically saw the accident, but from our perspective it seemed to only be a train malfunction. We were upset that they stopped the train in the crossing instead of a little further down. We had no idea. I guess that goes to show you that you rarely ever know all the details of a situation.