In the early morning darkness of July 27, 2016, a CN freight train with three locomotives, 169 loaded freight cars, and 18 empty freight cars was travelling through Moncton, N.B., when the crew spotted a dull light and the silhouette of someone in a wheelchair on the tracks - but there was no stopping in time. Steven Harel, whose wheelchair had become stuck and immobilized at the Robinson Street railway crossing was struck and killed by the 12,200 tonne train.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released its report on the accident Thursday. Their investigation found that several crossing conditions contributed to the accident, including a void in the asphalt and the lack of visual clues to navigate safely.
TSB investigators ran numerous simulations using similar wheelchairs. An identical motorized wheelchair would proceed forward, following the white line up to the new pavement and then along the paved right edge of the sidewalk. In each case the chair's right front wheel dropped into the void, causing the chair to turn right into the gravel. The height difference to the gravel would leave the wheelchair unable to reverse.
Since 1990 there have been seven occurrences in Canada of wheelchairs caught at rail crossings reported to the TSB. Five, including the Moncton incident, were fatal. Until such crossings are designated and the information is shared, Canadians - particularly those using assistive devices - will continue to be at an elevated risk at public crossings,” Ackermans said Thursday.
More than two million Canadian adults identify as having a mobility disability, including 300,000 wheelchair users.proved for people like their son. Read the full article on train crossing fatalities.