Driver killed in monorail crash....

[eeyorethegreat]

Unless Disney or another official agency releases the second by second details, we won't ever know what truly casued this to happen. As much as some would like to speculate and figure out what happened we will probably never know the details. Knowing that Disney and OSHA have gone over the details and it has now been deemed safe to operate the monorail system again is all we really need to know (or at least all I need to know) .

 

[Thumper & Bambi]

Thanks for your ideas as well. It is just an interest of mine to use historical photos to reconstruct events and timelines. The most important thing is to make sure the magic continues....

 

[doodlesmommy]

I have not stopped thinking about this kid since I heard about this crash on Sunday morning. It makes me so sad to know that he was so young and working a dream job that apparently from what I've read was so proud of. Think about it; how many people that age actually LOVE and have pride in their jobs? My heart is breaking for his parents and family. I know everything happens for a reason but I've never felt so sad for a family I've never met. As a Mother, I just can't imagine the pain that they are going through. I know there have been many other threads about the accident but I just needed to get that off my chest.

 

[dizneydiva2005]

Same here, I can't get him off of my mind. Poor kid and his family.
I just pray he didn't see it coming.
My heart just breaks.

 

[Tweevil]

I agree and feel very badly for him, his family and friends. Such a terrible loss.

 

[Renee1061]

I've been looking through my pictures and have found one more with us and the monorail. It's sort of ironic that the two pictures are of Monorail Pink (see post above) and Monorail Purple.

 

[P.I. Squirrel]

I have not read this entire post but I found this online and thought it was interesting.

The following statement is not mine and I honestly don't know who it is from exactly but it sheds some light on how this accident might have happened.

I read it and it does seem possible that this could be the cause.

After DW and I heard Disney's updated 'precautions' today, we immediately suspected switching to be the cause. If you look at the switch points on Google Earth, you see just how easy it is to confuse the Epcot beam with the spur beam when you're at the wrong end of the train.

Disney says they will 'have multiple people verify the switch has occurred'. But, IMHO, a driver located in the cab at each end of the train would have prevented this accident. When Pink moved to Pylon 30, then began towards the spur line, the pilot can only operate with his mirrors. Had there been an extra pilot in the (now) forward direction, he would have immediately realized the train was on the wrong line.

One thing is fairly certain. OSHA is going to have a field day with this.

 

[Robin4]

I finally saw the photo of Austin and I'm sad to say that I recognize him from our May trip. We had a quick conversation on the Epcot platform... he was definitely one of those cast members who displayed the Disney magic. My prayers go out to his family and friends. As for my family we will continue to ride the monorail for as long as WDW provides it

 

[The Three Cabs]

This whole story is so sad, my SIL sent us a text message as we were driving home from WDW yesterday telling of the accident making sure we were ok, we were on the monorail a few hours before it happened so I felt really sick after we found out. We actually spent the afternoon just riding the monorail around for fun. The monorails were packed earlier in the day I can't imagine how terrible it would have been had it happened when so many people were standing, what a tragedy to lose the monorail driver. My heart goes out to his family and friends.

 

[irunnoft]

You bring up a good point that the CM may have already seen that the Driver was deceased. I however do not think that the person filming is some kind of evil sleusayer out to make sure that they get every graphic detail of some horrid event so they can make millions of dollars selling it. I tend to give this person the benefit of the doubt and I for one am glad that I was able to see the video which by the way probably could help in the investigation. There were probablly some evil people on the ground video taping from the parking lot too. You may have been one of those who thought we should not have seen the devastation of the tragedy of 9/11. Maybe the news stations shouldn't have had the video rolling while all those people were dying inside the collapsing towers. Does the fact that NBC, ABC or whomever you were watching that day give them more license as a media outlet to film tragedy and rescue. What if that wonderful CM had been rescued and saved by the CMs on the platform? (oh how I wish this had been the case) Then the video would be a wonderful thing for us to have had. I know the outcome is terrible and sad and I think any video that did have the morbid should be edited, but some have sounded as if the video guy did some kind of horrendous thing. I just don't agree. JMHO though!

I didn't say the person filming it was evil. I do think he would've filmed anything, though, including some things that we probably wouldn't need to see. He was mumbling and giving the CM crap as he walked away . . . still filming. That's the attitude that made me think he'd film anything. I didn't, however, judge this person as evil. I don't see anything wrong with the video that he did shoot. I probably wouldn't have been shooting video. I'd probably have been one of the guests trying in some way to help. I'm just sayin'.

 

[stitchrulz]

My prayers are going out for CM Austin and his family.

I was wondering if the trains had black boxes like airplanes do. If so it would be a great help in finding out what really happpened.

Someone on an earlier post stated they do. I know freight locomotives have "black boxes" which record speed, brake apps, horn usage, etc. (DH is an engineer). The switching scenarios/overriding the warning systems which have been described sound sadly plausible. I'm sure Disney will make the necessary changes to prevent this situation from ever happening again.

DH called me from his away terminal, and one of the first things he asked was if there was any news about the accident.

 

[Tinker74]

I have not stopped thinking about this kid since I heard about this crash on Sunday morning. It makes me so sad to know that he was so young and working a dream job that apparently from what I've read was so proud of. Think about it; how many people that age actually LOVE and have pride in their jobs? My heart is breaking for his parents and family. I know everything happens for a reason but I've never felt so sad for a family I've never met. As a Mother, I just can't imagine the pain that they are going through. I know there have been many other threads about the accident but I just needed to get that off my chest.

This is exactley how I feel....I can't stop thinking about that poor boy and his poor mother....Why Why Why?....Someone so young..handsome and bright...he had everything to live for.....I heard he was very close to his mother and it just breaks my heart....He sounded like a wonderful young man. The photo of his smiling face sitting on the monorail he loved just devestates me...Iam not usually affected so much by tragedies..but this has really upset me.

 

[Tinker74]

I see one of the "would be heroes" is giving an interview to wesh on line....however He's talking bull because he states that he and his girlfriend were in the front cab of another monorail moments earlier with a driver and SEVEN others!.....Yeah right.

It just makes me so mad when people are after there 15 minutes of fame out of this.

 

[plutolovr]

I don't think he meant they were all in the fron "cab". I believe he was talking about being in the front car. Give the guy a break. I'm sure the news media sought him out and not the other way around. The guy could have easily just went on his way, but he stayed and tried to help out. How many people do you think just walked away and didn't bother to see what happened. If Austin would have survived because this guy was there you would be calling him a hero.

 

[Tinker74]

I don't think he meant they were all in the fron "cab". I believe he was talking about being in the front car. Give the guy a break. I'm sure the news media sought him out and not the other way around. The guy could have easily just went on his way, but he stayed and tried to help out. How many people do you think just walked away and didn't bother to see what happened. If Austin would have survived because this guy was there you would be calling him a hero.

No..I won't give him a break!...he looked like he was enjoying talking to the press to me and thats my opinion I'll express it if I want to!

So the driver of the monrail this guy was on with 8 other people was driving it from the front car not the cab??...It clearly said he was with the DRIVER and EIGHT other people up front...and stated it was a good job that wasn't the case with poor austins cab.The guy was talking BULL...He could NOT have been up front with a driver and EIGHT other people...he was sensationalizing his story!

 

[Cmbar]

Any way you can link the interview? I would like to see what you two are talking about. Please....

And I also cannot stop thinking about this crash. I was up all night trying to figure out where the accident happened. I still don't understand where the two trains collided. It is so sad.

 

[plutolovr]

No..I won't give him a break!...he looked like he was enjoying talking to the press to me and thats my opinion I'll express it if I want to!

So the driver of the monrail this guy was on with 8 other people was driving it from the front car not the cab??...It clearly said he was with the DRIVER and EIGHT other people up front...and stated it was a good job that wasn't the case with poor austins cab.The guy was talking BULL...He could NOT have been up front with a driver and EIGHT other people...he was sensationalizing his story!

Wow, just wow!!!

 

[Cmbar]

No..I won't give him a break!...he looked like he was enjoying talking to the press to me and thats my opinion I'll express it if I want to!

So the driver of the monrail this guy was on with 8 other people was driving it from the front car not the cab??...It clearly said he was with the DRIVER and EIGHT other people up front...and stated it was a good job that wasn't the case with poor austins cab.The guy was talking BULL...He could NOT have been up front with a driver and EIGHT other people...he was sensationalizing his story!

Wow Tinker you must have watched a different video than me because I don't see him enjoying anything. This man was an EMT and responded appropriately as such and I for one am grateful to have people who do this for a living everyday. And if anyone was sensationalizing it was the little media chick who of course always embellish stuff. SHE is the one who said that stuff at the end. If I had heard him say it I could agree with you, but no way do I believe the little media chick was telling the truth. I think they wanted to sensationalize the story by adding that stuff. He probably said he was in the front train not very front cabin with other people and the media lady embellished it. If the EMT guy had said that, why wasn't it on camera for all of us to see.

You are entitled to this opinion. But I totally disagree with you. This man just saw a terrible crash and a deceased man and tried to help him and you are cutting him down with no real reason. I saw no "Sensationalism" Just my opinion.

 

[Cmbar]

Wow, just wow!!!

Yeah I just watched the video and I say the same thing...

WOW Tinker must have been watching some other video.

 

[f15robyn]

.... But I totally disagree with you. This man just saw a terrible crash and a deceased man and tried to help him and you are cutting him down with no real reason. I saw no "Sensationalism" Just my opinion.

I just watched the video at the WESH website, and I agree completely with Cmbar.

I think professional detachment is something that people not involved with rescue/fire/police/medical/etc postions, sometimes don't understand. If you let yourself become emotionally involved each time you have to deal with things like this, how long do you think you could do the job?

I'm thankful for the coincidence of an EMT so close, just in case this might have turned out differently.