Case Studies
Train-Vehicle Collision at Signalized Grade Crossing
Subject Areas: train braking analysis, event recorder analysis, grade crossing signals
On May 8, 2007 at 2:05 PM, a northbound Amtrak train collided with an eastbound Chevrolet Tracker at the Claribel Road highway-rail grade crossing in Stanislaus County, CA. The crossing was equipped with flashing light signals and gates. The Tracker was on the tracks when the signals activated and became trapped on the crossing. Even though the train engineer stated that he saw the vehicle on the crossing when the signals activated, he never applied any air brakes before impact. The train struck the Tracker on its passenger side at approximately 79.8 mph, killing all six occupants in the Tracker. James Loumiet was retained to reconstruct the collision, evaluate event recorder data from the locomotive and the crossing signals, and analyze the ability of Amtrak and its engineer to slow or stop the train prior to impact.
Howard Street Tunnel Derailment
Subject Areas: derailment investigation, event recorder analysis, train dynamics simulation
On July 18, 2001 a CSX freight train transporting hazardous material derailed in the Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore, Maryland. One tank car carrying tripropylene was punctured and released its contents, resulting in a fire in the tunnel lasting several days. The result was the evacuation of the downtown Baltimore area and millions of dollars of property damage and business interruption. James Loumiet and JRLA were hired by the City of Baltimore to lead their multidisciplinary team of experts and investigators to determine the cause and point of derailment and to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the derailment.
Train-Motorcycle Collision at Highway-Rail Grade Crossing
Subject Areas: highway-rail grade crossings, sight distance analysis
On August 11, 2007, at 9:20 AM, a southbound NS (Norfolk-Southern) freight train collided with a westbound motorcycle at the Colon Road highway-rail grade crossing near Fargo, GA. The motorcycle rider was killed as a result of the collision. Traffic control at the crossing consisted only of Crossbuck signs. There were sight-obstructing trees and vegetation in all four crossing quadrants, some of which were on the railroad's right-of-way. James Loumiet was retained by the attorneys representing the deceased motorcycle rider to evaluate the crossing and its role in the collision. The crossing was found to have numerous defects and deficiencies that made it extrahazardous and a causative factor in the collision.
Ford Ranger-Dodge Avenger Collision
Subject Areas: traffic accident reconstruction, laser scanning, virtual reality reconstruction
On June 16, 2005 in Republic County, KS a northbound 1985 Ford Ranger collided head-on with a southbound 1998 Dodge Avenger on a paved county road. There were no eyewitnesses beyond the involved parties and both sides claimed that the other party had crossed into their side of the roadway. JRLA and James Loumiet were hired to reconstruct the collision to determine the impact positions, directions, and speeds of the vehicles. Laser scanning was used to capture the vehicles and site and to reconstruct the collision.
Subject Areas: derailment investigation, event recorder analysis, train dynamics simulation
On September 17, 2005, Metra Train 504 with 185 passengers was heading north in Chicago, IL and derailed when the train entered a 10-mph crossover at approximately 70 mph. The fourth car from the head end struck the steel girder of a bridge and went airborne and landed on the north side of the bridge. The result of the derailment and girder impact was that there were 129 persons requiring medical attention, 38 seriously injured persons requiring hospitalization, and 2 fatalities. James Loumiet and JRLA were retained to reconstruct the derailment and to evaluate the dynamics of the the fourth car caused by the girder impact.