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2 Metro workers killed in latest track accident
[January 26, 2010] ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) -- Two Metro workers were struck and killed by a maintenance vehicle along a track Tuesday, the latest in a string of fatalities since last year in the Washington area's commuter rail system.
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Both workers were on a track when they were hit a few blocks from the Rockville Metro Station, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman Capt. Oscar Garcia said. One worker died at the scene and the other on the way to a hospital, Metro officials said. Both men were automatic train technicians and the crash involved a large truck equipped to drive on the track when electricity is shut down, according to Metro spokeswoman Angela Gates. The Metro system that links the capital with neighboring areas of Maryland and Virginia has seen a series of fatal accidents and mishaps since last year. The worst was a June crash that killed eight passengers and the train operator. Two other workers were killed in separate accidents last year. Last month, a team of inspectors were nearly hit by a train that Metro officials say was traveling too fast. Three workers were hurt in November when a train returning to a northern Virginia rail yard hit a parked train. Following the latest deaths, Red Line service was shut down between the Shady Grove and Twinbrook stations while the crash is investigated. Shuttles service was being provided between the stations. |
