00:00On April 23, 2002,
00:28train 5340 departed Humbart Yard, heading eastward with the final destination of Clovis, New Mexico.
00:35The train consisted of three BNSF locomotives and 67 intermodal platforms.
00:40The only known locomotive in the consist was the lead one, which was BNSF 5340.
00:47Coming the other way was Metrolink train 809, on its way to Los Angeles.
00:52The train consisted of EMD F59PH 859 at the rear of the train, pushing three Bombardier bi-level passenger cars.
01:02It departed Riverside bound for San Juan that morning.
01:06Metrolink train 809 was scheduled to follow BNSF San Bernardino Subdivision, making stops at Riverside, El Seria, Korea North Main, and Korea West,
01:18before entering Metrolink's Olive Subdivision at Appwood, interlocking to head south to Hanyan Canyon Station.
01:26Approaching the interlocking from the east, train 809 displayed a diverging clear signal to proceed onto the Olive Subdivision.
01:34Approaching the interlocking from the east, BNSF train 5340 displayed an approach signal at CP Basta.
01:42This approach signal indicated that the train needed to slow down to 30 mph to prepare to stop ahead.
01:50Around two miles after the interlocking, train 5340 displayed another approach signal.
01:56While the engineer recalled having heard his conductor call out the signal as clear and having verbally acknowledged this,
02:02he later told investigators that he had not seen the signal himself and had relied on the word of his conductor.
02:08Both the engineer and conductor proceeded under the belief that they had a clear signal,
02:13and the engineer returned the train to its normal operating speed of 49 mph.
02:18As train 5340 approached CP outward, the train noticed that the signal was displaying STOP,
02:25and that Metrolink train 809 was directly ahead on the same track.
02:29The engineer immediately placed the train in an emergency, however by then it was too late for the nearly mile-long train to stop shore of the interlocking.
02:37At nearly the same time, the engine of Metrolink train 809 noticed train 5340 approaching directly ahead on the same track.
02:45The engineer placed the train 809 in an emergency and ran out of the cab and through the train, yelling for passengers to brace themselves.
02:52When it became clear to the crew of train 5340 that collision was imminent, they jumped clear of the locomotive.
02:5812 seconds later, train 809 was struck head-on by train 5340.
03:03The Force of the collection drove train 859 into the fleet of Opelra.
03:13The Force of the collection drove train 809 to 709 to 609 to 609 to 3340.
03:28The force of the collision drove train 809 backwards an estimated 243 feet and partially
03:37derailed the leading passenger car.
03:39The collision was partly captured on video by a security camera at a nearby commercial
03:45storage facility.
03:47Several passengers reported that the engineer's warning as he ran through the train had allowed
03:52them to assume positions that they believed prevented them from sustaining more serious
03:56injuries.
03:59But two people weren't so lucky.
04:01Robert Cube and Larry Sternstein were sitting together at the moment when the collision happened.
04:08The collision slammed them into the table in front of them, making that both sustained
04:12blunt, forced trauma.
04:15A third passenger, who sustained minor injuries in the crash, subsequently died a few months
04:20later.
04:21The NTSB report concluded that her cause of death was unrelated to the injuries she suffered
04:25in the collision.
04:28The damage to all railroad equipment was relatively minor, and all equipment involved was repaired
04:34and returned to service.
04:36Nonetheless, the NTSB investigation estimated the cost of damage to be around $4,630,000,
04:43which would be $7,669,740.41 nowadays.
04:50Investigators determined the cause of the accident had been the unawareness of the crew of BNSF
04:56train 5340 and of the operation of the train, causing the failure to heed the approach signal
05:03two miles before the crash.
05:05Both men were found to have used their mobile phones during the trip, and at the time they
05:09passed the approach signal were deep into discussion regarding their shared previous employment
05:14at the same oil refinery.
05:17The lack of positive train control on BNSF San Bernardino subdivision was also listed as
05:23a contributing factor.
05:24It's been 20 years since this wreck, and Metrolink had a few more rager wrecks since then, like
05:30the 2005 Glendale train collision and the 2008 Chasport train collision, but I'm glad we won't
05:35see anything like this again.
05:36I hope you don't see anything like this again.
05:37I hope you don't see anything like this again.
05:42Thank you very much.
05:44I hope you don't see anything like this again.
05:46I hope you don't see anything like this again.
05:49Every single day, I hope you will be here.
05:51I hope you can believe that.
05:51I hope you don't see anything like this again.
05:53I hope you have a great day.
