A WRECK OF A THREAD

[HairOfTheDog]

I've seen a few stories about bad motorist accidents this winter.

This one is the worst so far. Very sad.

A New York Metro-North Train slammed into an SUV that was on the tracks in Valhalla yesterday. There were over 650 passengers on the train. 5 passengers died, along with the driver of the SUV. Dozens more are in the hospital.








Authorities said the impact was so forceful the electrified third rail came up and pierced the train.

"It's really inexplicable, based on the facts we have now," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on WCBS-AM radio. "Everybody wants to know exactly what happened, so that if something can be corrected, we correct it."

Metro-North has been criticized severely for accidents over the last couple of years. Late last year, the NTSB issued rulings on five accidents that occurred in New York and Connecticut in 2013 and 2014, repeatedly finding fault with the railroad while also noting that conditions have improved.

Last March, the Federal Railroad Administration issued a stinging report on Metro-North, saying it let safety concerns slip while pushing to keep trains on time. Railroad executives pledged to make safety their top priority.

It's not clear if the railroad was at fault this time though -- the investigation is just getting underway.

Story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/04...12722.html