Crane smashes into Calgary C-Train, 6 injured
8/27/2008 at 2:57 PM
CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2008/08/27/calgary-ctrain-lrt-crane.html
A mobile construction crane hit a light rail transit train in northwest Calgary on Wednesday, seriously injuring the driver and snarling traffic in the area.
Emergency crews are on the scene between the Brentwood and Dalhousie C-Train stations.
Witnesses told CBC News that an Enmax crew was using the truck-mounted crane for electrical work on the power lines above the C-Train line when the boom arm swung toward the oncoming train and smashed into its front window at about 10:20 a.m. MT. The boom arm then swung out over traffic on Crowchild Trail.
"Cars were swerving to miss the crane," said witness Angela Principalli.
The impact of the crane collision derailed the three-car train, which was carrying about 30 passengers, and left a metre-long gash in the roof of the first car.
The C-Train driver was rushed to hospital and is in serious but stable condition, said Calgary paramedics.
Driver wanted to check on passengers
"I just heard the smash and everybody was laying on the ground," said Sebastien Gariepy, 27, who fell off his seat. "Everybody screamed all at once."
Gariepy said he went to help the driver who was lying on the control panel with broken pieces of glass on top of him.
The man suffered cuts to his head and was bleeding badly from his hands, but still walked into the first car to make sure everybody was OK, said Gariepy.
Four other adults and one child were also taken to the hospital with minor injuries, said Stuart Brideaux, spokesman for Calgary Emergency Medical Services.
Other passengers were moved to a transit bus and treated for minor cuts and bruises sustained when they fell, he said.
Police are telling drivers to avoid the area, as only one northbound lane of Crowchild Trail is open and all southbound lanes have been shut down.
With C-Train service shut down in both directions between Dalhousie and University stations, Calgary Transit is using buses to shuttle transit riders between the Dalhousie and Banff Trail stations.