Three children and adult killed, two others injured, in collision with train

Locutus

Adorable Deplorable
Jun 18, 2007
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A horrific collision between a Canadian Pacific train and a camper van has left three children and an 18-year-old woman dead and two others injured.

RCMP Cpl. Rob King said the collision took place Thursday evening about 7 p.m. at an uncontrolled crossing near Broadview, Sask.
The children were two seven-year-olds, a boy and a girl, and an 11-year-old girl.

The van was being driven by a 15-year-old boy. He sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital in Regina by air ambulance.
King said it is legal in Saskatchewan for a 15-year-old to drive a vehicle if they have a learner's permit and an adult in the vehicle with them.

A 42-year-old woman who was a passenger in the van was taken to the local hospital in Broadview. King said he didn't know the extent of her injuries.
 

WLDB

Senate Member
Jun 24, 2011
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Learner's permit or not a 15 year old probably shouldn't be driving near a railroad crossing. Might not have made a difference though. My father is a railroad engineer and has been in a few similar accidents. Some people just don't pay attention or worse, think they can beat the train. The train always wins.
 

Scooby

Electoral Member
Mar 22, 2012
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Alberta
I can't help but focus on those who regulate the transportation needs of this country. Time and time again we see loss of life that could be prevented.
Dangerous conditions are allowed for economic reasons.

Could this rairoad crossing have been made safer? I can say without even seeing it, and the answer it yes. The crossing has been stated as being uncontrolled.

Would it have prevented the accident? No way to know for sure, but it could have.

Automobile accidents will claim more lives. What is acceptable and who decides that based on what statistics?
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
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In SK where the accident occured there is a level uncontrolled crossing every mile




All of the grey lines on this map are grid roads.
 

taxslave

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 25, 2008
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Vancouver Island
I can't help but focus on those who regulate the transportation needs of this country. Time and time again we see loss of life that could be prevented.
Dangerous conditions are allowed for economic reasons.

Could this rairoad crossing have been made safer? I can say without even seeing it, and the answer it yes. The crossing has been stated as being uncontrolled.

Would it have prevented the accident? No way to know for sure, but it could have.

Automobile accidents will claim more lives. What is acceptable and who decides that based on what statistics?

You are an idiot.
All rail crossings I have ever seen including private ones are controlled. They have big signs that say STOP RAILWAY CROSSING.
 

lone wolf

Grossly Underrated
Nov 25, 2006
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In the bush near Sudbury
I can't help but focus on those who regulate the transportation needs of this country. Time and time again we see loss of life that could be prevented.
Dangerous conditions are allowed for economic reasons.

Could this rairoad crossing have been made safer? I can say without even seeing it, and the answer it yes. The crossing has been stated as being uncontrolled.

Would it have prevented the accident? No way to know for sure, but it could have.

Automobile accidents will claim more lives. What is acceptable and who decides that based on what statistics?
Trains have the right of way. Making crossings safer requires driver attention.
 

PoliticalNick

The Troll Bashing Troll
Mar 8, 2011
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In SK where the accident occured there is a level uncontrolled crossing every mile




All of the grey lines on this map are grid roads.

I was on that map yesterday. At least its an easy drive out there. A brick on the throttle and a bungee on the steering lets me get 15 minutes in the sleeper. :p
 

Scooby

Electoral Member
Mar 22, 2012
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Alberta
You are an idiot.
All rail crossings I have ever seen including private ones are controlled. They have big signs that say STOP RAILWAY CROSSING.
I guess I am an idiot who has witnessed many, many drivers ignore or forget these signs. There is a problem with driver complacency and it's causing deaths. Education and public warnings don't seem to work.

Should the solution seem offensive to you? Why is it so easy it is to blame the victims?

Until it hits close to home.
 
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taxslave

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 25, 2008
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I guess I am an idiot who has witnessed many, many drivers ignore or forget these signs. There is a problem with driver complacency and it's causing deaths. Education and public warnings don't seem to work.

Should the solution seem offensive to you? Why is it so easy it is to blame the victims?

Until it hits close to home.

Mostly because you are viewing it backwards. The solution is NOT to force railways to spend more money on gates that are neither necessary or will be obeyed. In theory everyone that has a drivers license has read the manual and knows that they must stop at all uncontrolled rail crossings and even be wary at controlled ones. Those that don't may win a Darwin award. We already suffer from far too much bubble wrap society that wants to protect stupid people from themselves.
In this case if I understood the article correctly the driver had a learners license, therefore there had to be a licensed driver in the front seat as well. What was he/she doing besides not observing the driving and road conditions?
 

PoliticalNick

The Troll Bashing Troll
Mar 8, 2011
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Edson, AB
Mostly because you are viewing it backwards. The solution is NOT to force railways to spend more money on gates that are neither necessary or will be obeyed. In theory everyone that has a drivers license has read the manual and knows that they must stop at all uncontrolled rail crossings and even be wary at controlled ones. Those that don't may win a Darwin award. We already suffer from far too much bubble wrap society that wants to protect stupid people from themselves.
In this case if I understood the article correctly the driver had a learners license, therefore there had to be a licensed driver in the front seat as well. What was he/she doing besides not observing the driving and road conditions?

Actually it is NOT mandatory to stop at an uncontrolled crossing unless you are carrying dangerous goods.
 

damngrumpy

Executive Branch Member
Mar 16, 2005
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kelowna bc
It would not make sense to start putting up stop signs at these crossing it would take
forever to get anywhere. This is one of those terrible things that happens from time
to time it does not mean we must write in a thousand laws to see it never happens
again because it will happen again regardless of how many laws you have.
As for a fifteen year old not being near railroad tracks, well in Saskatchewan they are
everywhere. Besides if he were sixteen or seventeen the passengers would still be
dead or injured.
The train was there, and we don't know why it happened or what the circumstances
were. I have staring into the sun crossing the tracks in Saskatchewan and if there was
a train I would not have seen it. Slow down, for crossings? Those who know the drivers
there, if you put up a sign that said speed limit 150 they would slow down to 180 to read it.

Every time there is an accident, why do some want to draft new laws or impose a thousand
restrictions? We can find out what happened and the rest of us won't do that. That is all
that is needed.