Car blocking the eastbound Expo Line tracks this morning. Due to the location, it was very difficult to get a tow truck in to move the vehicle. Trains were able to single track until vehicle was removed. Photo: Metro
Earlier this morning around 6 a.m., a car traveling eastbound on Exposition Blvd. entered the Expo Line right of way near Expo/Western Station. The car traveled down the eastbound tracks for approximately 40 yards before breaking down. Moving the vehicle took longer than usual due to the location where it stopped.
The incident was resolved around 8:45 a.m. and there is no damage to the tracks or surrounding infrastructure at this time. Expo Line is running normal service.
If you were late to work this morning due to this incident and need delay verification, call Customer Relations at 213.922.6235 / Fax 213.922.6988.
Categories: Transportation News
There’s no way a driver would have accidentally driven that far over a bunch of bumpy rail ties and gravel. My guess is a naive USC student thought he could get to campus faster by using the ROW, and failed miserably.
Deployable bollards that are up when there is no train approaching could prevent that. Just youtube bollard crash to see how effective they are.
Was the driver arrested?
Hi Warren;
I don’t know and am trying to find out.
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source
Mark – this intersection (Exposition & Rodeo, where the vehicle actually entered the Right of Way) pre-dates the current Exposition line and existed in the previous freight/Pac. Elect. alignment before construction began. You’d need to go back to the EIS/EIR to review what was studied about it, but it is likely that the CofLA and the local community did not what to lose the connection between these two streets.
Richard – all the signs in the world won’t stop a distracted driver from endangering themselves or the rest of us. Considering the vehicle in question is a Mercedes Sport Coupe, some form of distraction is highly likely (texting/talking/etc.)
Regards,
Metro has both hi-rail tow vehicles and signs posted that read “keep vehicles off rail” or “do not enter”.
I don’t expect this to be the last at this location. Poorly designed angle intersection. Should have closed and both streets on either side of the tracks reconfigured as one-way streets.
Sure, the driver may be an idiot. But why not post a more standard “DO NOT ENTER” traffic sign? (Or maybe “SEVERE TIRE DAMAGE”?)
Wonder if he was talking on his cell-phone.
and why was the car on the tracks?
What? Metro doesn’t have a HiRail tow truck?
Hi James,
Metro does have one (or quite a few, actually) and eventually that was what was used to get the car off the tracks.
Anna Chen
Writer, The Source
How the heck does a car even get onto the tracks like that? You can’t purposely go that far onto the tracks with a proper head. Was the driver high on something and thought it would be funny to drive on the tracks?