Late Tuesday evening, a 49 year-old woman, Ellen Brody, stopped her SUV on train tracks in Valhalla, NY, and was consequently hit by a Metro-North train. According to the article at WebProNews, a witness in another car watched as Ms. Brody stopped on the wrong side of a crossing gate, briefly exited her car when the gate hit her car, and then pulled forward onto the train tracks. According to the New York Times, the train operator slammed on the breaks, but without enough time to avoid a collision.
Six people, including Ellen Brody, died and more than a dozen were injured in the crash. A large fire erupted, and the electrified third rail tore through the front of the train.” According to the NYT, the crash was the “deadliest episode” in Metro-North’s history.
