THE PHOENIX, ARIZONA, LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM has been in operation for just under 12 months. But in that time the $3 million dollar trains have been involved in 51 accidents with automobiles and none of the wrecks were caused by the train operations. The drivers in Phoenix are having difficulty adjusting to the traffic patterns that include the tracks running down the center of the street, even though that has been the practice throughout the U. S. for 130 years or more.
Wednesday afternoon the rail system’s worst crash yet occurred when a woman driving a large passenger van ran a red light and found herself trying to share the same space as the 2-car train. After colliding with the train, her van was dragged along for about 90 ft. until a power pole interrupted the journey and wedged the van between the pole and the train.
AZCentral
The crash ruptured the gas tank on the van, but fortunately for everyone involved, the 750-volt lines were not brought down. The driver of the van escaped with only minor injuries while the train operator and a passenger were transported to be checked.
The driver of the van, a 28-year-old woman, had just picked up the van moments earlier from the A1 Leasing, just blocks from the collision, said Larry Potts, owner of A1 Leasing. The woman was planning to use the van for a school function Thursday.
The Arizona Republic filed this video report on the crash and explains the road hazards:
The safety video cameras on the train recorded the entire incident and the tapes were released Friday. They are shown in this video, beginning with a segment showing the van keeping pace with the train for a few blocks, seemingly pacing it. Then it goes through the traffic light that is set up at an upcoming rail crossing and drives into the path of the train. The second segment shows the view from a camera mounted on the rear of the lead car and records the moment where the power pole brings it all to an end:
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