WOW let's be careful out there!

[Pax]

There is a story in the Chicago Tribune today about a female cyclist that was killed while crossing train tracks.

"The bicyclist was in a pedestrian crossing when she apparently disregarded flashing lights, bells and warning gates, rode around the stopped train and was struck by an express train operating on the northernmost track, Miller said."

Very sad and scary, everyone please be careful.

[CorsairMac]

I just wanna be sure I read that right: she disregarded the flashing red lights and bells, rode around the gates And the stopped train?? ..........

hmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Pax]

I just wanna be sure I read that right: she disregarded the flashing red lights and bells, rode around the gates And the stopped train?? ..........

hmmmmmmmmmmmm

Here is a link to the full story.

[nuthatch]

This slipping around the stopped train thing seems to be a real problem around here - there are so many commuter trains and freight trains all sharing the tracks. Whether you're walking, running or riding, stop at the lights!! I can tell more folks are out cycling in the Chicago area because we hear of so many more accidents these days.

[betagirl]

This is what we call Darwinism. I'm sorry, but if you ride around gates and stopped trains I find it hard to feel bad for you if you get creamed by a train. Pedestrians do this too and end up getting killed. I know that metra line well, used to commute to school on it in college. Those express trains FLY. And while yes they normally operate on the center tracks, you have to be pretty careless to assume a train isn't coming by on the outside track.

[DeniseGoldberg]

This is what we call Darwinism. I'm sorry, but if you ride around gates and stopped trains I find it hard to feel bad for you if you get creamed by a train.

My thoughts exactly - I'm so glad that you found the words to say this nicely. The person I really feel for is the engineer of the train.

Something similar happened in the Boston area in the not-to-distant past, and the paper published an interview with the engineer. Even if they wanted to stop, it takes quite a distance to bring a train to a halt - as in there is not a chance that the driver of the train can stop in time to not hit the person who jumped out in front of it.

--- Denise

[Trek420]

Lately it seems that any news report on cycleist death or injury has somewhere in it what they were doing wrong. Here in the Bay Area recently a teenager was killed and all the reports seemed to lean on that he was stopped to put out a cigarette.

So he was a teenager who smoked, does not make it any less tragic.

We all think this, see someone ride without a helmet, wrong way, dark clothes at night "idiot, hope he's signed his organ donor card" But we also read about cyclists doing everything right, signaling, riding correctly and get hurt or worse.

[CorsairMac]

and once again I am humbled and honoured to be a part of this board. There were several different viewpoints offered over Queens news flash. There was even some disagreement but no one got out of hand, no one became vicious or ugly. We just agreed to disagree or to offer compromising viewpoints. It is the people here that keep me coming back. Thank you again ladies for voicing your opinions while still keeping the peace!

[Pax]

An update to the story from the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation:

Oak Park teacher killed by Metra train
Aug 23, 2005

By DAN HALEY

Patricia Quane, a veteran Oak Park elementary school teacher, and president of the Oak Park Cycle Club, was killed early Tuesday morning when the bicycle she was riding was struck by a Metra train in Riverside.

Quane is an Oak Park resident. She has three daughters, Abigail, 17; Amelia, 21; and Allegra, 23.

Quane has taught in Oak Park District 97 schools since 1989 and was currently speech and language teacher at Holmes School, 508 N. Kenilworth Ave., said Gail Krantz, district spokeswoman.

"This is just devastating. She was a very safe biker. She is the last person you'd expect to be in an accident," said Brain Crawford, spokesperson for the Oak Park Cycle Club.

The accident occurred Tuesday morning about 7:45 at the Riverside station, according to a report on the Chicago Tribune's web site. Quane was struck by an inbound express train on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe line.

According to a Metra spokesperson a minor freight train derailment earlier Tuesday had the commuter train running on a different track than normal. It is not clear if that change had any impact on the accident. According to the Metra spokesperson, a local train was stopped to take on passengers at the Riverside station. Quane allegedly rode around the stopped train and was struck by the express.

Quane was not carrying identification and her body was not identified for several hours. District 97 said it received word of the accident on Tuesday afternoon.

[sisson]

Queen
Thanks for the reminder and sticking with this point. It is ok to disagree in this forum. In fact it makes it lively and interesting and good. A horrible mistake is when we make one that gets us or any one killed. It is a loss. Another mistake is to judge especially without alot of information. Your article speaks volumes. Compassion begins with forgiving ourselves and then extends to others. I like what you said alot Queen. Honor and Compassion is an awesome combination. Even more awesome is the daily practice to do just that. Glad you're here.
Suzanne

[bouncybouncy]

First of all my heart goes out to those young women who lost there mother and the train engineer who wished he could have stopped in time (i am sure he had those thoughts or similar) it is a fatal reminder to all of us who have made mistakes and have forgotten them only to make more...i have always lived and learned by my own mistakes but have also learned to see the reality in others unfortunate behaviors and chose to learn from that too...in this case...do not cross a railroad track without looking!!!! i always ride with the thought in mind that NO ONE sees me...i am my only defense in safety!!! never assume...expecially when it is between me and a car (vehicle) the car always wins

second...has anyone noticed that news reports always seem to blame the vehicle???

"bicycle she was riding was struck"

was her bike in control??? did the bike MAKE her cross the track at the wrong time??? we always see this with car accidents..."the suv she was driving ran the red light" is it me or are we eliminating blame on the rightful person?

I speak of this from personal experience...I have struck a cyclist with my car (let's not mention he was a homeless man wearing only an speedo in a part of town where there is nothing or nowhere for him to be...it was a shipping port...and he was riding in the MIDDLE of the road going the WRONG direction) many workers in that area actually ride thier bikes FOLLOWING THE RULES...not only did i not expect a cyclist to be there I would not have expected another vehicle...it was a ONE WAY!!!! if i had killed him I would have had to live with that for the rest of my life...Thank God he survived but i ask myself all the time "is it fair that I have to live with that pain because of his mistake???" i think of this every time i go out for a road ride...

BTW: i was following the rules of the road...he came out of nowhere!