TX - Four dead, 17 injured as train strikes wounded veterans parade float in Midland

[Truthwillsetufree]

i can't see how anyone would believe activated x-ing lights/bells as being "part of a parade"... nor can i see someone waving a vehicle through but not watching as they're doing so...

the waved through comments were on a midland tv station's fb page... it's possible those who thought the truck was waved through were mistaken? like others, i haven't seen it in msm reports. would that be something investigators don't publicize? to try to keep blame off police? it makes sense that's why the driver went through...



close call video... Car gets stuck between Railroad crossing barriers - Video

I can't say what the driver thought, I would think if the lights were flashing, instinct would make you just glance up and down the tracks, but I just don't know. Like I said in a previous post I do not know if the driver was waved through or not, I haven't read or heard any mention of this until i read the post here on WS. There was a man that has told the media he was recording the parade and subsequently also recorded the train collision. This man was arrested and his camera and memory card confiscated. He was released from jail later that night but without his camera or memory card. I read where charges were dropped against him and he would receive his camera back.
The train had a camera. The policeman behind the truck also had a camera that captured the collision and this witness had a video camera. Surely the facts of what preceded impact will come to light.

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

Parade float driver won't face charges in train crash that killed 4 veterans


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/01/0...led-4-veterans/?test=latestnews#ixzz2HYBi8Wp9

 

[redheadedgal]

i don't get it... if he began to cross the tracks after the signals went off, how is that not involuntary manslaughter or at least some sort of careless driving or criminal negligence?

 

[redheadedgal]

it has been confirmed the driver was waved through the crossing by a police officer (should that nullify his culpability?)... yet the victims' families blame the railroad by the sounds of it

http://www.mywesttexas.com/top_stories/article_08f07496-9a41-11e2-885c-0019bb2963f4.html

 

[redheadedgal]

update on victims... interesting comment underneath by norm deplume

http://www.mywesttexas.com/top_stories/article_a8973d75-efdd-5d34-b6c3-3c76d2c1b36b.html

 

[redheadedgal]

victims oppose city and county named as partly responsible for crash

(b/c they don't have the money union pacific does? again, good comments by norm at the bottom)

http://www.mywesttexas.com/top_stories/article_2ae11d92-8d05-11e2-a2bd-0019bb2963f4.html

 

[redheadedgal]

commenters below article accuse city of midland of coverup

http://www.mywesttexas.com/top_stories/article_2ae11d92-8d05-11e2-a2bd-0019bb2963f4.html

 

[redheadedgal]

-civil trial against union pacific and truck co. set for april 2014
(but driver was requested by the victims to not be indicted? how is it the fault of the owners of the truck but not the driver? b/c the companies have money and the driver does not?)

-city of midland changes rules re: parades over crossings

-commenter states NTSB is absolutely wrong in when the lights/gate activated

http://www.mywesttexas.com/top_stories/article_9716c70c-7f02-11e2-a283-001a4bcf887a.html

 

[redheadedgal]

townsfolk condemn union pacific for slowing down and blaring horns after train crash after which they condemned union pacific for going too fast and not blaring horns

http://www.mywesttexas.com/top_stories/article_15e018ab-f9eb-5f35-ab8f-96495f8808a8.html

 

[redheadedgal]

love this guy! (norm)

There is something seriously wrong here. First the city of Midland passes an ordinance that prohibits the railroad from blowing their horns. Then the city says that they have a policy about parades which require a permit, yet no permit was granted and no permit was even requested.
So if this wasn't a legal parade to begin with, then can someone please explain why that so many Midland PD units and deputies from the Midland Sheriff's Department were actually involved in the parade procession, not only as parade units, but also as escorts?
And at the same time NO ONE from the city thought to notify the railroad that a parade was crossing their tracks?
The railroad was doing nothing wrong here. All they did was to operate a train within the legal speed limit down THEIR property. It's not their fault that someone decided to hold a bogus parade, or that law enforcement waved the truck through the intersection and onto the tracks, and likewise its not their fault that the driver decided to stop while still parked on the tracks.
Everyone who has a driver's license knows that there are rules and laws that pertain to grade crossings, yet just about every rule was ignored here.
I contend that if the Midland PD is NOT going to charge the driver, the main reason is because they already know that someone with Midland PD waved the truck through the intersection and across the tracks. I would also make a bet that everyone knew this and that this may well be the reason that that man was arrested for videotaping the incident.
Everything points to an endless list of SERIOUS blunders by the City of Midland.
And for those who keep harping on the train going too fast and taking too long to stop... First, they were running 8 miles UNDER the speed limit. It doesn't matter what the speed USED to be, or what you think the speed limit is, they are allowed 70 MPH thru town end of discussion. Secondly, it usually takes a full mile to stop a train moving that fast, so the train crew did an admirable job in stopping within 4100 feet while at the same time not derailing the entire mess in downtown.
This IS NOT the fault of the UP and for the media to try to paint a negative picture of what the railroad was doing is wrong. Just yesterday we were treated to one story where the reporter stated that the train was "barreling thru Midland". "Barreling"??? Really???
This is probably not the fault of the trucking company (as they donated the rig to the parade organizers).
This IS THE FAULT of the parade organizers, it IS the fault of the driver, and IT IS ESPECIALLY THE FAULT of the City of Midland.
The ambulance chasing lawyers need to go after the correct parties involved in this. Someone gave this group permission to go ahead and operate the parade WITHOUT a permit and someone authorized the use of Midland PD units and Midland Sheriff's units. Find those parties and you will probably find who set this tragedy in motion.


http://www.mywesttexas.com/top_stories/article_212742fe-3f08-11e2-90d7-0019bb2963f4.html