Los Angeles is a city that’s notorious for one thing above all others crowded, gridlocked freeways that can cripple peoples efforts to get to and from their jobs. The citys landscape itself is not set up favorably for those who need to maintain their careers, as many residential areas are set far away from business districts and commercial centers that tend to support the workforce.
When you combine this almost daily gridlock to rising fuel costs, one could easily understand why many people would begin to look for alternative transportation, as the choice seems to have become sit in traffic and suffer daily or find another solution for millions of people, all while fuel continues to cost more. One solution is commuter trains.
One of the alternatives that’s been discovered and used more prominently in recent months is a commuter train service known as Metrolink. Metrolink is a commuter train that traverses throughout several locations and paths in Los Angeles County, and its prevalence was beginning to grow.
However, there tends to be one fear more common than any other in regards to using this form of transportation train accidents. Statistics generally show that train accidents occur at a much lower rate than automobile crashes, especially in an area like Los Angeles, but when they do occur they tend to generate media coverage given their tendency to leave behind a wake of devastation.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what may have happened on Friday afternoon near Chatsworth in Los Angeles County. At approximately 4:30 p.m. local time, which is generally within the range that’s considered rush hour, a Metrolink train collided with an oncoming freight train head-on, and the results were nothing short of tragic.
Rescue teams were immediately called in and worked through the night, but many fatalities were simply unavoidable. There were approximately 222 passengers on the Metrolink train, and the majority of them suffered some form of physical consequence as a result of the crash. 135 people were injured, and of those injured, 81 were immediately rushed to nearby hospitals because there were deemed to be in critical condition. 25 people were killed immediately, and that number could rise given the number of serious injuries.
No known cause has yet been identified by local, state and federal authorities who have been investigating the matter, and no timetable has been proffered for any sort of conclusion to the investigation.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a train crash, you need to obtain medical attention as soon as possible. Even if you do not feel any physical symptoms, you should still be examined to make sure that no undetectable injuries did occur. You should also contact an accident attorney to schedule a free initial consultation, as you need to know what your legal rights and options may be when a cause for the accident is determined.
Available 24/7