Tuch and Group:
My God! What a tragic story! As I was reading about the collision, I felt
that I was standing right behind you feeling everything you were feeling --
the yells of imminent disaster, the impact, the engine leaning and bouncing,
the slack running in and all that transpired after the train finally stopped.
That is the mark of an excellent writer to make the reader feel like he or
she is right there. But, oh, for your sake, I really wish this story I just
read was fictional and I could delete the e-mail and forget about it.
Unfortunately, this is not the case. I can now understand how your life was
forever changed on the night of October 18, 1989...
Too bad about the three young girls that sacrificed their lives, for what, no
one will ever know. For whatever reason, the driver, at least, was
determined to beat the odds that night by trying to beat you across the
crossing -- but she didn't make it and, unfortunately, took two or her
friends with her. What a waste. Crossing accidents are just so senseless.
Sadly, her actions have made a permanent mark on you for the rest of your
life. I can try to understand, but no one but you will ever know what's it
really like. I appreciate and commend you for telling your story and because
of it, I have a much better understanding of what engineers and other train
crew members must go through following such a tragedy. And about that
asshole trainmaster in Schiller Park, well, I can't say in this e-mail what
should have been done with him, but let's just say that being "fired" would
have been way too nice for what he deserved!
A little over two years ago, we had a tragic crossing accident here in
Lafayette that was just about as stupid and senseless as Antioch. A pretty
young 18-year-old girl, Amanda Jackson, had just graduated from Harrison High
School exactly one week before. Reports say an out-of-state boyfriend she
had met at Spring break was flying into Indy to be with her for the weekend
and so she was busily racing about getting ready for his arrival. Afterall,
she wanted to look just right for him! As she was traveling east on
Greenbush Street -- late for a tanning salon session -- two NS trains were
approaching on the double main, one eastbound and one westbound. She passed
three cars that were obediently stopped by the flasher signals and waiting
for the trains to pass. Witnesses claim she did slow down before entering
the crossing but before she could get clear of the #1 eastbound main, an
eastbound train (which many claim she probably never saw) T-boned her and
started playing croquette with her car down the track. She may have survived
being hit by the eastbound train had it not been for the westbound train
traveling westward on the #2 main. About the time the two trains passed, her
car was straddling both mains. By the time both trains could get stopped,
the remains of her Cavalier was sandwiched between the two. Someone told me
there is about four feet of clearance between two trains on double track.
But whether it's three feet or five feet, it really doesn't make much
difference when you're talking about a vehicle being stuck in between. Ms.
Jackson was pronounced dead at the scene and I understand from my Supervisor
that it was not a pretty sight. About four hours later, the two trains were
moving again (I'm not sure if they had new crews or not) as it took that long
to extricate her body from the car and her car from between the trains.
About the time her boyfriend's plane was landing in Indy was about the same
time her mangled body was being taken to the morgue. Imagine how he must
have felt when he finally arrived at her house -- anxiously awaiting a big
hug, kiss and greeting from Amanda -- only to find out she was gone...
Her family and friends placed a large wooden cross near the crossing where
she lost her life and they make sure it is mowed, has flowers and is neatly
kept. At the junction of the cross hangs a sign that reads, "Amanda We Love
and Miss You." As I drive by the "shrine" or the one or two times I've
performed a crossing test there, I just can't help but shake my head and
speak softly to myself that another sign ought to placed below that further
states, "Another Senseless and Needless Death..." I know that may sound
cold, but deep down in my heart, that is how I feel. Oh, of course, I feel
for her family and friends who mourn her death and still miss her immensely.
Here's a pretty young woman just out of high school with her whole life ahead
of her. She was smart and did not live on the poor side of town. And she
traded it ALL for a single roll of the dice -- to save maybe five minutes
from her hectic schedule -- and lost...
And you know what's really sad? I have recalled and written the above story
from memory based on the newspaper accounts (which by the way and
surprisingly, did NOT bash the NS!) and fellow railroaders who were there,
but do you think I can remember the name of even one engineer whose life may
have been forever changed like Tuch's? No, I'm sorry to say I can't. Why?
Well, I guess it's because their names were mentioned once or twice and then
nothing more was ever said about them. Yes, these are guys just like Tuch
who have little choice but to get back in the cab and make another run. But
chances are good there are two NS engineers and two NS conductors who will
never forget the senseless and needless death of Amanda Jackson and probably
relive it again and again in their dreams and for sure every time they
approach the Greenbush Street crossing just like Tuch relives it again and
again in his dreams and until he left the WC, every time he crossed Rt. 173
in Antioch...
Tuch, thanks for sharing your story with us.
Jim Sinclair
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