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Light rail
All aboard
 
Metro train
Karl Stolleis / Chronicle

Metro rail supervisor Eddie Espinosa pilots one of the new trains around the test track in October. The light rail cars started carrying passengers Jan. 1.

 

1 11/19 - no injury - Main at Gray METRO Light Rail Encounters First Accident
Light Rail Clips Back Of News2Houston Reporter's Vehicle
POSTED: 9:18 am CST November 20, 2003
UPDATED: 11:49 am CST November 20, 2003
HOUSTON -- Houston's new light-rail system encountered its first accident Wednesday night.

News2Houston's HealthBeat reporter Krista Marino was involved in the accident at Gray and Main in downtown Houston around 8:30 p.m. Marino told News2Houston she was driving home from choir practice, traveling down Main Street and preparing to turn left onto West Gray Street.

 

At the same time, a METRO light-rail train, on a trial run of the new commuter system, was traveling north on Main Street when the collision occurred. The train struck rear of her vehicle on the driver's side and spun it around. Marino said she never heard the train coming, only a police siren right before the crash happened. She also told News2Houston that she was accustomed to being able to make a left turn at that intersection; however, that turn is now illegal. Officials said the trains travel very slow and are shadowed by METRO police. "Everything has been going great. This is the first time something like this (has happened)," a METRO official said. The light rail and Marino's vehicle received minor damage in the collision; however, no one was injured in the accident. METRO told News2Houston this is the first problem they encountered with a passenger vehicle. No passengers were on the train. Marino was ticketed for making an illegal turn.

2 12/17 - no injury - Fannin at Southmore
Train's eye view of first light rail collision "I think we need more education" 11:04 AM CST on Thursday, December 18, 2003 By Jeremy Desel / 11 News Click to watch video
HOUSTON – There was another accident Wednesday where a driver ran into a light rail car. And as police investigate the accident at Fannin and Southmore in the Medical Center area, there are new images of the first wreck weeks ago and you can see how it happened.

It's a view you've never seen, the train's eye view. Each new light rail car is equipped with surveillance cameras that provide views from all sides of the train car.

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Metro

A camera on board the train shows the SUV turning in front of it.

During the early stages of testing the cars were trailed by a metro police escort, but even that couldn't stop an accident. The video shows a white Cherokee is in a lane clearly marked no turns. The train is coming from behind and the driver turns right in front of the train. There was minor damage to both vehicles. But it didn't stop the train from continuing on with its test. Metro says it illustrates a common problem on the line. "Left turns, right turns across where the tracks are now," says Metro spokesperson Ken Connaughton. "The signs are there. It is just a matter of the motorists using good common motoring sense." But in many places the signs are small and the turns are tempting. "I think we need more education," says Adriane Ho. "I think it is quite dangerous." "I didn't know if I should have made a left turn or not there," said one driver. "It is confusing. But I guess I'll get used to it." In just about two weeks the trains will be running full time, no longer empty and no longer a test. Wednesday another car hit a train on Fannin, backing out of a flower shop. It was the first accident it that location, but barely. "They are close and the sign is not too visible for the customers so. Something else happened before almost another car got hit." Metro says it's continuing to try and educate and inform drivers. "There will be a learning curve," says Connaughton.

3 12/19 - 1 injury - Main at Alabama

1 Injured In Light-Rail Accident METRO Holds Emergency Drill

POSTED: 11:33 am CST December 19, 2003
UPDATED: 12:09 pm CST December 19, 2003
One man was injured when his pickup truck hit a METRO light-rail train traveling near downtown Houston Friday morning, according to authorities. Light-Rail Train-Pickup Truck Accident

The driver made an illegal left-hand turn on Alabama from Main Street around 10:30 a.m. when the driver's side of his vehicle struck the front of the train, officials said. The train pushed the truck approximately 75 to 100 yards, witnesses told News2Houston.

 

The man was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. His injuries are not life threatening, according to authorities.

The accident happened a few miles away from where METRO was conducting an emergency drill to test the preparedness of employees. The drill, which simulated a deadly accident involving a light-rail train and a vehicle, was carried out on the northbound track at Fannin and Bellfort.

Light-Rail Train Pickup Truck Accident

It's the third accident involving a METRO light-rail train since it began operating on a test basis. It's the second accident involving a left-hand turn.

News2Houston's HealthBeat reporter Krista Marino was involved in an accident when she made a left-hand turn on Gray from Main in downtown Houston around 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 19. She told News2Houston that she was accustomed to being able to make a left turn at that intersection; however, that turn is now illegal.

 

4 12/20 - no injury - Fannin at John Freeman    Another driver gets struck by a METRO train
METRO accident
The pickup's driver had to be taken to a local hospital after Friday's wreck with a METRO train.

— METRO's new light rail system is less than two weeks from going on-line, but it has already suffered its fourth accident, the second accident within in the past two days.


 

The latest accident happened Saturday afternoon on Fannin and John Freeman in the Medical Center area.

Investigators say the driver of a Ford Explorer was trying to make an illegal turn from Fannin to John Freeman, that's when the train and the SUV collided. Nobody was hurt, but METRO hopes this will serve, as a reminder for drivers and that is to keep the trains in mind. "We're just hoping people will get used to the light rail running and pay more attention to the signs in the area and also be more aware of our train," said Sgt. Ted Naradovy with the METRO Police Department. The driver of the Explorer received a ticket for failure to obey a traffic sign.

There have now been four minor collisions between the rail and other vehicles and the line isn't even officially opened yet. Friday's crash happened on Main at Alabama when a driver tried to turn left in front of the light rail train travelling next to him. Happening, incredibly enough, during a light rail crash emergency drill just a few miles down the track. "It's awful, it's awful, it's awful," said eyewitness Carol Elam. The light rail train was travelling between 20 and 25 miles per hour -- enough to send the truck's driver, Joseph Kitrell, age 64, to the hospital. Elam saw the whole thing. "It appeared to me he was looking for something," she said. METRO Police Captain Tim Kelly explained, "He made an illegal left turn in front of an approaching train which struck his vehicle."

This is the third accident involving a METRO light rail train since testing began earlier this year, but it is the first one involving an injury. And this one came less than hour and only a few miles from a METRO training exercise -- a simulated fatal crash between a car and a train. Good experience for the five different agencies that need to respond to such an incident before the train officially goes on line, communication between them being the key. "It's vital. It's often the first victim of any kind of major scene," HPD Captain Mark Fougerousse emphasized. "Our accident investigators are trained to respond to fatality accidents but this is a unique vehicle and it's new to the city." New enough that rescue personnel need practice. METRO Safety Director Tom Greufe said, "It's an unlikely event, but we always have to prepare for something like this should something like this ever happen." Unlikely, but entirely possible, given that it seems as much rehearsal as emergency crews need with the new trains, Houston drivers may need even more. Light rail still is set to open for real on January 1, a month before the Super Bowl hits Houston.

512/30 - no injury - 8250 1/2 Fannin (driveway)
6 1/9 - 1 injury - Fannin at Binz METRO: Driver Makes Illegal Turn, Collides With Train

2 People Transported To Hospital With Non Life-Threatening Injuries

POSTED: 8:40 am CST January 9, 2004
UPDATED: 1:08 pm CST January 9, 2004
Officials said a car and a METRORail train collided in the 5600 block of Fannin at Binz in southwest Houston just before 8:20 a.m. Friday. METRORail encountered its first major accident only one week after daily service began, News2Houston reported.
 

Houston Fire Department officials and METRO Light Rail authorities responded to the scene.

Witnesses said the driver of a car traveling south next to a METRORail shuttle on Fannin Street Friday morning attempted to make a left-hand turn in front of the train at the Binz intersection, ignoring warning signs.

The captain said the train was approaching a stop at the Museum District, and moving less than 20 mph when the driver turned in front of the light-rail tram. Investigators said although the traffic light was green, the car's driver ignored the METRO warning sign. While the train proceeded on to its next stop, the car spun around for about 10 feet, onto a sidewalk. Witness Mary Matas told News2Houston she felt like she was watching a movie. "We heard a crash. By the time we turned around, we saw the rail hit the back end of the car. The car kind of spun like a toy," Matas said. "It sounded like metal hitting against metal really hard." None of the passengers aboard the train were injured, according to METRO officials. A man and woman inside the car that was hit were transported to Hermann Hospital. Their injures were not life threatening.

"I guess our No. 1 concern is safety. We certainly don't want anybody to be hurt on the trains or in these vehicles. We hope to avoid (accidents) totally," METRO Police Capt. Tim Kelly said. Officials ticketed the driver for allegedly disregarding a traffic-controlled device. A METRO officer was on board the train at the time of the accident. METRO said this is the sixth light-rail accident since the train began test rides late last year. This is the first major accident since the rail began servicing the public.

7 1/13 - no injury - Fannin at John Freeman Another accident Tuesday involving a light rail train — Houston's light rail system saw yet another accident on Tuesday. It happened when a truck bumped into a light rail train at Fannin and John Freeman around 4pm. No one was seriously hurt. This was the seventh accident involving light rail if you include the five that happened during practice runs.
8 1/17 - ?? injury - Fannin at Rosedale
 
9 1/19 - 1 injury - Fannin at Dryden
10 1/20 - ?? injuries - 6500 Fannin near Dryden  NO. not certain.  1-26-05

Light rail passenger injured in train/car crash

METRO accident
The car suffered severe damage after allegedly turning in front of a METRO light rail train.

— It's happened again. Another light rail train has slammed into a car. Again the driver of the car was at fault. However for the first time, a passenger on the train was also hurt.

The METRO light rail car was coming southbound on Fannin when it approached the intersection at Southmore. A car was turning left right into the path of the train. A left turn from Fannin onto Southmore is legal, but not when a train is coming. When that happens, a warning light comes on telling drivers not to turn. "The rail collided with her and dragged her and pushed her and pulled her all the way to here," recalled witness Anna Marie Foisey.

Foisey watched as the METRO light rail train #104 slammed into a car turning left into the path of the train. Foisey said, "Clearly, she wasn't seeing it, and she made a left turn. The light was green, and the warnings are there, but it's coming up on you so fast. And then it just dragged her. You know, I think she's just glad to be alive." Another witness, Nicholas Mitchell, exclaimed, "I'm lucky to be alive!" Mitchell was working just ten feet from the collision. "It sounded like thunder crashing. WHOOSH! The crash impact was unbelievable," he said. Mitchell ran away from the flying debris and was not hurt. But the driver of the car was taken to a hospital, as was a passenger in the METRO rail car. Both are said to have minor injuries. Those who saw the collision are now wondering about the safety of the system. Mitchell said, "You need more than just a little horn and the signal that's maybe, what? Two foot by two foot? That's just not going to work." "We all have an obligation to follow the rules of the road," reminded METRO Police Chief Tom Lambert.

Lambert says there is a no left turn signal at the intersection that lights up as the train approaches, warning drivers not to turn. "There's a rail activation sign, and it activates as a train approaches. It flashes and shows that a train is approaching. Part of the investigation will also be to take a look at that system, and make sure that system is doing the things it's designed to do," he said. This accident is still under investigation.

Chief Lambert tells us there have been 10 accidents involving light rail trains. A camera mounted on the train captured a wreck with a truck last Friday. Police say an accident occurred after Christopher McGinnis drove under a railroad crossing barrier, which was lifted by a co-worker. McGinnis is still in critical condition at Memorial Hermann Hospital.

The very first accident happened back in November while the trains were still being tested. No one was hurt in the first accident. METRO's chief of police says all of the accidents have been the fault of the car and truck drivers.

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11. 1/23 - 2 injuries - (derailed) Kirby at Holmes Rd.

METRO rail involved in 11th accident with passenger vehicle

Rail accident

— For the second time in two days, a light rail train has collided with a car. That makes 11 total accidents since the trains hit the tracks. This latest light rail accident happened just before 3pm Tuesday.


There were no injuries in Tuesday afternoon's accident with the METRO light rail.

It happened again -- another accident involving a METRO light rail train and a passenger vehicle. This time the accident occurred at the corner of Main and McGowen. The car was traveling north on Main, trying to make a left turn on McGowen and it got pinned up, apparently panicking the driver.So far there have been 11 such accidents, and METRO rail has only been up and running for less than a month.Driver Quien Lu was visibly shaken and confused after the accident. He said he saw the green light, but not the no turn signal. Lu was trying to make a left turn from north on Main to west on McGowen.

Eyewitness Velmarine Szabo asserted, "It was the (car's) driver that was at fault. The (train) slowed… (the operator) blew (the whistle)… he gave every warning that he could. He tried to visibly stop the train." No one was hurt, but the passengers on board the train say it happened so quickly. Thorne Dobbins was sitting right behind the train engineer. He said, "I heard him say, 'Oh no!' and hit the brakes. You could feel the braking, and then the collision."

This brings to 11 the number of accidents involving the METRO light rail. It is the second such accident in two days. Witnesses suggest the signage may be the problem. "I don't know. It's not that well marked, I don't think, for people to see," said Dobbins. "You can't turn left here, turn left there… It's all so changed up."And Mayor Bill White seems to agree.

"I think we need to do a better job of communication and signage because we can't continue at this rate," he said. There were no serious injuries in Tuesday afternoon's accident. But more and more we're hearing that inconsistency seems to be a problem for a lot of the people who are monitoring the situation. Sometimes you can drive on the tracks, sometimes you can't. Sometimes you can take a left turn over the tracks, sometimes you can't. Eyewitness News will continue to follow up with METRO on possible changes to the system.
(Copyright © 2004, KTRK-TV)

12 1/23 - 2 injuries - (derailed) Kirby at Holmes Rd.

It's happened again -- another accident involving light rail

METRO accident The pickup driver was hospitalized after he collided with a METRO train.
 

— It's happened again - another person has collided with a light rail train downtown.

Police say the driver of a pickup truck ignored a traffic light on Main at Pierce and that's when the train hit him. The train had just left the downtown platform and therefore wasn't going very fast. The pickup driver suffered minor injuries and none of the 10 passengers on the light rail was hurt. This is the 12th accident involving a light rail train since it started trial runs in October. METRO trains are crashing more often than trains in other cities with new light rail lines, so METRO is trying to figure out why. They've hired consultants to study whether traffic signals and signs along the rail line are confusing. Nearly all the 12 accidents involving light rail have involved motorists violating traffic laws, but some of those laws are new because of the rail line.

13 1/26 - 2 injuries - Fannin at SouthmorePolice: Pickup Driver Runs Light, Hits METRORail Train
POSTED: 9:18 am CST February 16, 2004
UPDATED: 9:26 am CST February 16, 2004
HOUSTON -- A pickup driver ran a red light in downtown Houston Sunday night and a METRORail train hit it, officials told News2Houston. METRORail Accident With TruckThe accident happened around 10:30 p.m. on Main at Pierce."Well, we believe what occurred is that the driver of the pickup truck did not stop for the red light and so he ran the light, and the train struck," said Sgt. J.P. Brightmon, with METRO Police.The truck driver received minor injuries.Ten people were on board the light-rail train. Some complained of injuries, but officials said they were all minor.It was the 13th accident involving METRORail since it began operating last year.Some drivers are surprised the accidents keep happening."There's been a lot of accidents. How many? Like four or five? Thirteen? Wow," sai"d Brian Petrie, a driver. "There's a lot of stupid drivers out there for one thing, but maybe METRORail is in bad spots where drivers don't see -- even good drivers.
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Click here to try this site for an interesting look at  the Wham Bam Tram  Metro light Rail.http://www.actionamerica.org/houston/whambamtram.pdf

The Wham-Bam-Tram
Houston Mass Transit or
Weapon of Mass Destruction?


by John Gaver
March 18, 2004
Updated May 28, 2004

 

Houston. We have a problem.

Houston's former Mayor Lee P. Brown, backed by a variety of downtown Houston businesses, including Enron, wanted a modern light rail system for downtown that, as they said, would put Houston on the map. Well, they got their wish. Houston's new MetroRail has certainly put Houston on the map, but not in the way they planned.

The new MetroRail system, now just under five months into normal public operation, is indeed, drawing all kinds of national attention, because of the national records that it is breaking. Unfortunately, the records that are being broken are the kind that Houston Mayor Bill White, the City Council and the MetroRail Board, would just as soon forget. You see, in just the first four months of public operation, Houston's rail safety record has become the absolute worst on record in the entire United States and by a very wide margin, at that. Jokes abound about Houston having used dual use technologies to turn their mass transit system onto their own private weapon of mass destruction (WMD). Just don't tell the Bush administration or they'll invade Houston.

As an example of the records being set, according to a KHOU television report, the Houston MetroRail has the dubious distinction of having been involved in more traffic accidents in its first two months of public operation, than any rail system, in any other city, over the entire first year of operation - not exactly a record to be proud of. Then consider the fact that the 7.5 mile route of the Houston MetroRail system is far shorter than that of any of those other cities and you will realize that the magnitude of the MetroRail failure is multiplied, since a shorter route, should logically mean fewer accidents. Is it any wonder then, that, many Houstonians now laughingly refer to it in such terms as, the "Wham-Bam-Tram" or the "Streetcar Named Disaster".

(Update 7/23/04: Since the original publication of this article, Action America has learned that a San Francisco rail system actually holds the national record, at 61 crashes in 2001. I initially thought that the entire 61 crashes was attributed to the BART system, but thanks to an email from an alert and knowledgable reader, who had a link to the exact report that I have been searching for, I went back and did some more research and learned that the 61 crashes, though accurate, was actually for the San Francisco, MUNI Rail System. The BART system, which has no grade crossings, only had 17 accidents, over it's 103 mile route in 2001 - a very respectable number, I might add. To put this in perspective, if the Wham-Bam-Tram had such a low crash rate, it would have only had one crash, up to now and would not be known as well, by the term, "Wham-Bam-Tram", as its proper name, "MetroRail".

This actually makes the Wham-Bam-Tram look slightly better than if the 61 crashes had been representative of BART's 103 route miles, since the MUNI system included only 73.3 route miles of track. That comes out to a crash rate of 0.83 crashes per route mil per year. The Wham-Bam-Tram, already at 52 crashes, just under 7 months into the year, will have roughly 82 crashes this year, at the current rate. That crash rate calculates out to 11 crashes per route mile, per year. Again, to put this in perspective, if the MUNI system had a crash rate as bad as the Wham-Bam-Tram, it would have had 806 crashes in 2001, instead of only 61. The current Wham-Bam-Tram crash rate is roughly 2000% worse than the national average, of 0.55 crashes per route mile, per year.

We apologize for any inaccuracies in previous reports. Being a small operation, we do not have news bureaus in other cities and must rely upon news sources, who do. Occasionally, as Rush would say, one of the members of our "vast and unpaid research department" will provide us the information that we seek and for them, we are very grateful. We were always satisfied with the accuracy of the 61 crashes in San Francisco, as representing the record. But now, we are glad to be able to provide the correct details, to go with it. You can find these and other details in the National Transit Database Data Tables for 2001. Select table 20 for mileage and table 22 for accidents.)

Light rail supporters are quick to point out that, in every one of the now, 41 MetroRail accidents (see counter and list), police placed the blame on the driver of the automobile. Metro officials and other proponents refuse to admit that the design of the system is largely to blame for most, if not all of the accidents. Certainly, the drivers are at least partially to blame. But, the sheer number and frequency of accidents points to an underlying design flaw in the system - a flaw that has created an environment conducive to driver error.

Since January 1, 2004, when the Houston MetroRail began official operation, it has earned its "Wham-Bam-Tram" reputation, by racking up 36 accidents and 5 more occurred during limited trials in November and December, with 24 people injured in those accidents. That averages out to one accident every 4.1 days of official operation. If that rate continues for the rest of the year and there is no reason to believe that it won't, the total for the year will be roughly 89 accidents or more than 20 times as many accidents per route mile, than any other city's light rail system has ever recorded in any single year of operation. But, according to the Federal Transit Administration and reported in the Houston Chronicle, when measured using the national standard of "accidents per route mile", that crash rate is 25 times greater than the national average and the trend isn't getting any better.

It should be noted that when Houston's MetroRail supporters were trying to generate public support for the vote on light rail, they told voters that it would take automobiles off the road. They just didn't mention that it would do it, one car at a time.

A KHOU television investigation found that the cost to repair the damaged rail cars exceeded $600,000 at the end of February. Project that out to 12 months and the annual cost to repair the rail cars will exceed $3.5 million. These are certainly not the kind of expenses that Houston taxpayers were led to expect. Houston Metro officials say that they expect to recover those repair costs from the insurance companies representing the drivers. But, as I will show in a moment, such expectations are not only overly optimistic, but that approach could well backfire on Metro, costing taxpayers even more.

Those who supported Houston's light rail project are now trying to blame the huge number of accidents on the aggressive nature of Houston drivers. But, if that were the case, then Houston would have a similarly high number of non-rail related accidents. They don't. The fact that the number of accidents along the Houston MetroRail line far exceeds the average for Houston, as well as the accident rate of any other rail system in the nation, clearly takes Houston drivers out of the picture and places the blame where it belongs - on poor design and implementation.

If the Houston MetroRail accident numbers were 10%, 20% or even 50% higher than any other city, an argument might be made that area drivers were solely to blame. If the Houston numbers were double that of any other city, then we would have to, at least, give serious consideration to the possibility of a causative flaw in the design of the MetroRail system. But, the Houston MetroRail accident numbers are not 10%, 50% or even 100% more than any other city. Their annual total will likely be more than 2000% that of any other rail system, in any other city and 2500% above the national average. Such overwhelming numbers leave no doubt that there is a very serious causative flaw in the design of Houston's MetroRail system. Even so, Houston Metro officials, refusing to admit to a problem with their new toy, will not shut the train down while the problem is analyzed and corrected.

Let's look at this from a different perspective. If a company that manufactured ladders were to start selling a new model of ladder and they suddenly started getting confirmed reports of people falling off of that new model of ladder, at a rate 20 times that of any other similar ladder on the market, they would immediately issue a recall of that ladder, even before determining for sure, if indeed, there was a flaw in the ladder's design or manufacture. They would do that for one very simple business reason - to limit liability. They could figure out the problem later. But, if they let the defective ladders continue to be sold and it was later determined that the ladder was at fault, they would not only be opening their company up for a class action lawsuit, but because they failed to issues a prompt recall, they would probably be found to be negligent, which would multiply the size of any judgment.

Now, let's switch back to the Houston Wham-Bam-Tram. Ok, so that's not really its name. But it sounds so catchy. By continuing to run the MetroRail, even after such overwhelming evidence that there is some underlying design flaw, Houston Metro officials are setting up Metro and the City of Houston for a huge class action lawsuit and establishing a solid case for negligence.

But, it gets worse. Although such a suit might be filed by the drivers of the many vehicles involved in MetroRail crashes and litigated by one of Houston's ambulance chasing lawyers, the suit that the City of Houston really needs to fear, is the suit by the massed automobile insurance companies that don't want to have to pay out that $3.5 million a year to repair MetroRail cars, over and above the cost to repair the insured automobiles involved. Furthermore, since the insurance companies have deep pockets, such a suit will certainly be litigated by a major law firm.

The statistics already speak for themselves, but the insurance companies will, no doubt, show up with dozens of expert witnesses. Not only would it be an open and shut case, but because Metro failed to take the train out of service when it became obvious that there was a serious problem with its design or implementation, the plaintiffs will be able to demonstrate negligence on behalf of Metro, thus boosting the size of the judgment or negotiated settlement and the subsequent cost to Houston taxpayers.

Proposed paint scheme to alert
drivers to danger posed by this vehicle

Every day that the MetroRail train stays in service, increases the likelihood of a major class action suit against the City of Houston and Metro and also increases the likely size of the judgment, in any such suit. If Metro is not going to take this menace to public safety out of service, while its numerous problems are analyzed and fixed, maybe they should, at least, give it a paint scheme worthy of its ominous threat to public safety. At least that way, when those lawsuits hit, Metro can claim that they tried to warn the public.

With all the people around the country laughing at Houston, over this fiasco, it's nice to know that, at least Houstonians can still laugh at it themselves. Perhaps, as the saying goes, they are only laughing, to keep from crying.

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May 6, 2004, 1:54AM

Two rail accidents raise total to 38

Houston Chronicle News Services

Two motorists turned crashed into MetroRail trains in two days, police said, causing no injuries and minor damage, and boosting the collision count to 38 on Houston's months-old light rail system.

bout 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Tamara Holiman of Baytown ran a red light at Fannin and Rosedale in the Museum District and struck a southbound train. Holiman, 23, was ticketed for ignoring the signal.

38 Lonna Sims of the 200 block of West Alabama was northbound on Fannin about 8:15 a.m. Tuesday when she turned left into a train while trying to reach a garage. Transit police cited Sims, 29, for making an illegal turn.
39 Tally of METRO light rail accidents nears 40

— For the 39th time, a METRO light rail train has been involved in a collision.

There's been yet another METRO light rail crash just as the rail line goes through some changes to help prevent these collisions.

It happened just before 7am Sunday in the medical center. A METRO spokesperson says a truck tried to get into a lane shared by both vehicles and the trains on Fannin near Dryden. Investigators say the truck's driver failed to yield to the train.

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41 METRO light rail suffers 41st accident

— A pickup truck and METRO light rail car came together Thursday.

That's light rail accident number 41. Thursday's accident happened at Congress and Main. The pickup driver says he had to stop suddenly because the car in front of him did and found himself on the tracks.

He tried to get out of the way, but was clipped by the train. No one was hurt and damage was minor.

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June 7, 2004, 10:56PM
Driver ticketed in 43rd crash on rail system

A motorist was ticketed Monday for disregarding a no-left-turn sign, resulting in the 43rd collision between a vehicle and a Metropolitan Transit Authority light rail train. The collision occurred at 11:02 a.m. at Fannin and John Freeman in the Texas Medical Center. A Metro spokesman said the car's driver tried to U-turn in front of the train. Both vehicles sustained minor damage and there were no injuries, he said.

44  Out of town visitors crash rental car into METRO train
Rail accident
The driver of the rental car was cited for an illegal left turn.

— Some out-of-town visitors learned a lesson about Houston's light rail the hard way.

They're here for the All-Star game and were in a rental car driving downtown Tuesday afternoon. The driver turned left, in front of a train at the Main and Texas intersection and the train hit the back end of the car. One person was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. No one on the train was hurt. The driver of the car was ticketed for making an illegal left turn.

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3 injured in Metro's 45th light rail accident

09:07 AM CDT on Thursday, June 17, 2004

By Amy Tortolani / 11 News  Despite changes made to improve the safety of Metro's light rail line, Metro officials find themselves investigating another accident Thursday morning.

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KHOU-TV

The driver of this vehicle told Metro police he was from Kansas, was unfamiliar with the area and had been drinking.

It was a familiar scenario that involved a light rail train, a car and an illegal left turn. It marked the 45th accident since the system went online.

It happened Wednesday night at the intersection of Main and Elgin around 10:50. Investigators say a car made an illegal left turn and hit a Metro light rail train. On board were 10 to 15 passengers, none of whom were injured. But the three people in the car were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Metro police said the out-of-town driver admitted to them he was drinking and driving. "He was not familiar with the area. He stated that he is from Kansas," said Metro police officer Antonio Ford. "In all actuality, he said he wanted to be going the opposite way, so in essence he was making a u-turn."

No word on what charges the driver will face. But the train did sustain $10,000 to $15,000 in damage from the accident.

46
June 19, 2004, 3:20AM
Illegal left turn results in 46th rail accident

A 34-year-old Huntsville man made an illegal left turn, clipping a MetroRail train late Thursday, then left the scene before police arrived.

Metropolitan Transit Authority officials said the northbound pickup driver was trying to turn left from Main to Franklin at about 11 p.m. despite a posted "no left turn" warning sign. The pickup clipped the train, causing damage of less than $1,000.

Metro police arrived and learned the driver left his name with the train operator and then left the area. Officers mailed him a citation for failing to stay in the proper lane, resulting in a collision, Metro officials said.

The wreck, the 46th for the Main Street light rail line, marks the first involving an illegal turn into a train downtown. Traffic signals in those two areas now turn red in all directions when a train approaches an intersection. Downtown signals still give parallel Main Street vehicle traffic a green light, however.

47METRO light rail involved in accident #47 Tuesday afternoon
Light rail
Tuesday's accident at the intersection of Alabama and Main was the 47th wreck involving a METRO light rail train.

— A Tuesday afternoon wreck marks accident number 47 for METRO's light rail.

It happened at the intersection of Alabama and Main just after 4pm. The train was traveling southbound on Main when a westbound motorist apparently ran the red light on Alabama.

The driver of the vehicle hit by the train was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital. There is no word on the extent of his injuries. He will be ticketed for running a red light.

No one on the train was injured.

48 
July 3, 2004, 12:38AM
First Metro train operator blamed for crash

Metro suspended a train operator Friday after determining he should have avoided a collision with a car in the Texas Medical Center.

The incident, the 48th on the Main Street light rail line, marks the first time the Metropolitan Transit Authority has determined one of its employees was at fault. Clive Trotman, 59, will remain suspended with pay "pending completion of retraining and/or any other disciplinary review," said Metro spokesman Chip Lambert.

Trotman, operating Train 109, was southbound at 6:40 p.m. Thursday in the 6500 block of Fannin approaching Dryden, according to a Metro report. A southbound 2004 BMW 325I sedan driven by Daehne Giuffre, 32, of Sugar Land, legally entered the left-turn lane. That intersection is one of six in the Texas Medical Center where cars turn left from a lane atop the railroad tracks, the only locations where vehicles are permitted on the tracks (except when a red X illuminates overhead to warn of an approaching train).

Giuffre received a green left-turn arrow and entered the intersection, the report states. Because traffic had backed up from the entrance to TMC Garage No. 1, she could not complete her turn into the parking structure and was left in the middle of the intersection, rear bumper hanging over the rails.

The left-turn light turned to red and Train 109 received a white vertical bar, the light rail's signal that the train may go through the intersection. Trotman proceeded and clipped the car's rear fender, causing an estimated $500 damage to both the train and the sedan. No one was injured.

Metro police and rail safety officials determined Trotman should have stopped for the obstruction on the tracks despite having the proceed signal

49 Out of town visitors crash rental car into METRO train
Rail accident
The driver of the rental car was cited for an illegal left turn.

— Some out-of-town visitors learned a lesson about Houston's light rail the hard way.

They're here for the All-Star game and were in a rental car driving downtown Tuesday afternoon. The driver turned left, in front of a train at the Main and Texas intersection and the train hit the back end of the car.

One person was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. No one on the train was hurt. The driver of the car was ticketed for making an illegal left turn.

50
July 14, 2004, 11:52AM All-Star visitor cited in 50th light-rail crash

Nobody injured as Wisconsin man turns left into train

A visitor from Wisconsin, driving to Minute Maid Park with his daughter to work as volunteers at FanFest before the All-Star Game, became a Houston statistic Tuesday — the 50th person involved in a collision with MetroRail.

As outdoor diners watched at 12:20 p.m., the compact rental car turned left across the tracks from the southbound lanes of Main onto Texas, witnesses said. The driver, investment broker Bob Teofilo, of Fond du Lac, Wis., agreed with their account."My focus was on the baseball stadium, and that's where I was headed," he said. "I saw the green light and no traffic oncoming, so we made a quick left turn. I never even saw the 'no left turn' sign."

The southbound train clipped the car's left-rear fender. The impact ripped out the taillight, part of the fender and bumper, and shattered the rear window. It also left a foot-long gash in a flexible panel that covers the front of the train. "He nailed me good, but fortunately the train is made with a round front end of rubber. I would have probably been crushed underneath, but we bounced off," Teofilo said.

The stopped train blocked the track for about 20 minutes, and more than a dozen passengers exited. Some spoke briefly with an ambulance crew, but Metro spokesman Ken Connaughton said no injuries were reported.

Metro police cited Teofilo for making an illegal turn.

Meanwhile, Harris County Hospital District spokesman John Martinez said Robert Close, who was struck by MetroRail on Thursday and admitted to Ben Taub Hospital in critical condition, is now in fair condition.

Certainly, the overt cause of all these crashes is driver error. But, with a 10-month average of almost 2 crashes a week, it becomes clear that the root cause of these crashes is that the serious design flaws of the Wham-Bam-Tram itself, provoke driver error.

 

Click on date to go to a news article mentioning that crash.
The 2 dates in red are only referenced on the Houston Chronicle's interactive map of Wham-Bam-Tram crashes and in the Metro Crash Report. The crashes highlighted in light blue were not reported by the media, while those highlighted in yellow, do not appear in the Metro Crash Report.

11/19 - no injury - Main at Gray 5/24 - no injuries - Fannin at 610E Service Rd.
12/17 - no injury - Fannin at Southmore 5/27 - no injuries - Congress at Main
12/19 - 1 injury - Main at Alabama 6/3 - no injuries - Rosedale at Fannin
12/20 - no injury - Fannin at John Freeman 6/7 - no injuries - Fannin at John Freeman
12/30 - no injury - 8250 1/2 Fannin (driveway) 6/8 - no injuries - Main at Pierce
1/9 - 1 injury - Fannin at Binz 6/16 - 3 injuries - Main at Elgin
1/13 - no injury - Fannin at John Freeman 6/17 - no injuries - Main at Franklin
1/17 - ?? injury - Fannin at Rosedale 6/22 - 1 injury - Main at Alabama
1/19 - 1 injury - Fannin at Dryden 7/2 - no injuries - Fannin at Dryden (Metro fault)
1/20 - ?? injuries - 6500 Fannin near Dryden 7/8 - 1 critical injury - Pedestrian - Main at Rusk
1/23 - 2 injuries - (derailed) Kirby at Holmes Rd. 7/13 - 1 injury - Main at Texas
1/23 - no injuries - Fannin at TX Childrens Hosp. 7/14 - no injuries - Fannin at TX Childrens Hosp.
1/26 - 2 injuries - Fannin at Southmore 7/22 - no injuries - Fannin at Holly Hall
1/27 - no injury - Main at McGowen 7/24 - no injuries - Main at Clay
2/3 - no injury - Fannin at Dryden 7/28 - no injuries - Main at Texas
2/15 - 1 injury - Main at Pierce 7/29 - no injuries - Fannin near Dryden
2/19 - no injury - Fannin at Southmore (bank lot) 8/2 - 2 injuries - Fannin at University
2/21 - no injury - Fannin at Montrose 8/19 - ?? injuries - Main at Gray
2/24 - no injury - Fannin at Dryden 8/20 - 5 injuries - Main at Congress (prison van)
2/27 - 1 injury - Fannin at San Jacinto split 8/24 - no injuries - McGregor at Fannin
2/27 - 1 injury - Fannin at Oakdale 8/25 - 1 injury - Main at Pierce
3/1 - no injury - San Jacinto at Southmore 9/7 - no injuries - Main in Midtown
3/3 - no injury - Fannin at Rosedale 9/15 - 1 injury - Pedestrian - Main near Lamar
3/5 - no injury - San Jacinto at Rosedale (hit & run) 9/19 - 1 injury on train - Main at Pierce
3/10 - no injury - Main at Gray 10/4 - 1 injury - Pedestrian - Fannin at Reliant Pk.
3/15 - no injury - Main at Gray 10/6 - 1 injury - Pedestrian - Main near Walker
3/17 - 1 injury - Pedestrian - Fannin at Reliant Pk. 10/8 - no injuries - Main at Franklin
3/22 - 1 injury - Main at Wheeler 10/22 - no injuries - Main at Jefferson
3/23 - no injury - Fannin at TX Childrens Hosp. 11/18 - no injuries - Fannin near Ross Sterling
3/24 - no injury - Greenbriar near Braeswood 12/15 - no injuries - Main at Jefferson
3/27 - 1 injury - Wheelchair - Main at McGowen 12/30 - no injuries - Main at Pierce
3/29 - 3 injuries - Fannin at Binz 1/7 - 3 injuries - Main at Gray
4/3 - no injury - Main at St. Joseph Pkwy. 1/11 - 1 injury - Fannin at University
4/7 - no injury - Fannin at John Freeman 1/26 - 2 passenger injuries - Fannin at Hermann
4/12 - no injury - Main near Southmore (driveway) 1/27am - 2 passenger inj. - Fannin at MacGregor
4/17 - 3 injuries/2 on train - Fannin at Rosedale 1/27pm - no injuries - Fannin at MacGregor
4/21 - 2 injuries - Fannin at Holly Hall (2 cars) 2/10 - 2 injuries - Fannin at University
5/4 - no injuries - Fannin at a Med Center garage 2/12 - no injuries - Fannin at Oakdale
5/5 - no injuries - Fannin at Rosedale 3/16 - 1 injury - Fannin at Dryden
5/9 - no injuries - Fannin near Dryden 3/22 - no injuries - Main at Capital
5/15 - 1 injury - Fannin at Rosedale

 

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