Evidence can only bring you so far in any investigation. There may be questions that can't be answered, and some of them may be key. You may not be able to say definitely what happened.
Maximillian Thiel, deputy chief, Waterford Police Department
By ETHAN ROUEN
Day Staff Writer, Police/Fire Reporter
PATRICIA DADDONA
Published on 9/30/2005
Waterford Those investigating Wednesday's fatal accident involving an Amtrak train and a car said Thursday they might never determine why a 62-year-old grandmother drove under a closed railroad gate.
The Federal Rail Administration is conducting an investigation, and members of the Waterford Police Department are working with Amtrak officials to try to determine what occurred at 7:41 a.m. Wednesday when Patricia Metzermacher slowly drove her Ford Taurus under the Miner Lane grade-crossing gate and into the path of a southbound Amtrak Acela train.
An autopsy Thursday morning revealed that Metzermacher died of multiple traumatic injuries sustained in the crash. Her 8-year-old grandson, Zachary Metzermacher, whom she was driving to his school bus stop, also was killed.
Zachary's sister, Courtney, 4, who was in a child seat in the back of the car, remained in critical condition Thursday at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, according to a hospital spokesman.
The children's uncle, Michael Metzermacher, said Thursday that Courtney's condition has improved slightly and that she is starting to respond to people.
The Waterford police Crash Investigation Team finished taking measurements and photographs and collecting evidence at the accident site and has turned the information over to Amtrak, said Deputy Chief Maximilian Thiel. He estimated the entire probe will take weeks to complete.
"There is no indication there was anything wrong with the car," Thiel said, adding that he could not elaborate on directions in which the investigation may be headed.
"Evidence can only bring you so far in any investigation," Thiel said. "There may be questions that can't be answered, and some of them may be key. You may not be able to say definitely what happened."
The Federal Railroad Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Transportation, is conducting a separate investigation in hopes of determining what went wrong.
The FRA investigates rail-crossing accidents when the cause is not known, said FRA spokesman Warren Flatau. In other cases, the investigation is the responsibility of local or state officials.
Although he would not comment specifically on the Waterford investigation, Flatau said investigators will inspect and test equipment, examine training and maintenance records, and interview witnesses.
"We have a particular interest in this specific location because there are advanced warning systems," he said.
Those systems include vehicle detection technology that warns trains if there is a vehicle on the tracks when the gate closes.
Prior to Amtrak's introduction of Acela service through the Northeast Corridor, Flatau said grade crossings in the area were upgraded with technologically advanced safety equipment. He said the FRA will release a report when it concludes the investigation, which could take months.
The funerals for Zachary and Patricia Metzermacher will be held simultaneously Tuesday at the Thomas L. Neilan & Sons Funeral Home on Ocean Avenue in New London. Calling hours will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday.
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Amtrak train derails south of St. Louis
BLACKWELL, Mo.(AP) - Amtrak says there are no serious injuries in a train derailment in eastern Missouri.
Ninety people were on board the six-car, Texas Eagle train, when three cars and an engine jumped the tracks south of St. Louis near the town of Blackwell. The engine rolled on its side but the cars stayed upright.
An Amtrak spokeswoman says Wednesday night's accident happened in a canyon and it's possible the problem was fallen rocks.
Earlier Wednesday, a high-speed Amtrak Acela (uh-SEHL'-uh) train plowed into a car at a crossing in Waterford, Connecticut, killing a woman and her eight-year-old grandson.
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©2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Amtrak Train Derails In Missouri; 11 Injured
POSTED: 6:42 am EDT September 29, 2005
BLACKWELL, Mo. -- An Amtrak train derailed in eastern Missouri after apparently striking boulders on the tracks from a rockslide, officials said. Eleven people suffered minor injuries.
It was not immediately clear how many people were on the train. Jefferson County Sheriff Glenn Boyer said it was carrying 130 passengers and crew members, but an Amtrak spokeswoman later said there were 103 people onboard.
The Texas Eagle train, traveling from Chicago to San Antonio, was moving slowly through a winding area when it apparently struck the rockslide late Wednesday, Boyer said. He described boulders about half the size of a car hood on the track. The cause of the slide was not known, but the area had received about 1.5 inches of rain earlier Wednesday.
"We're fortunate the engineer had to slow down," Boyer said. "It probably could have been a lot more serious."
The injured passengers were taken to a hospital while others were taken by bus to a nearby fire house to spend the night. Most suffered neck and back pain, Boyer said.
The derailment happened near Blackwell, about 50 miles southwest of St. Louis. All the passenger cars remained upright, according to Amtrak and local officials.
The National Transportation Safety Board planned to investigate.
Earlier Wednesday, a high-speed Amtrak Acela train plowed into a car at a crossing in Waterford, Conn., killing a woman and her 8-year-old grandson and causing major delays along the Boston-to-Washington corridor.
Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.