Metro Train Crash Kills at Least Six between D.C. and Maryland Border
A fatal Washington D.C. metro train crash has left at least six dead and as many as seventy-six others injured. The accident, which occurred on Monday, June 22, 2009 just after rush hour, has left residents of the Washington D.C. metropolitan area shocked and saddened. According to one report, Metro spokeswoman Kath Asata said that a six-car Red Line train collided with another Metro train north of downtown Washington D.C. between Fort Totten and Takoma Park, Maryland and then derailed.
Mayor Adrian Fenty is calling this catastrophe the “deadliest crash in the history of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.” The crash occurred just before 5 pm during rush-hour. It has been reported that 76 passengers were taken to area hospitals to treat their personal injuries, including two in critical condition.
Although the cause of this accident is not yet known, train accidents occur for a number of reasons that can include faulty tracks, equipment defects, human error, signal problems and other factors. The National Transportation Safety Board will conduct an investigation into the Metro accident, but at this time it is considered an “accidental collision.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured passengers, their families, and the families of those who have lost loved ones in this horrible accident. We wish everyone a speedy recovery and hope that the cause of this Metro crash is determined in short order. Those seeking information pertaining to family members on the train, are asked to call 311 inside of the District of Columbia and 202-737-4404 outside of DC.
