Monorail Crash Kills Driver Stuns Passengers At Disney World

[FrankieD]

Originally Posted by boomerthemoose

I can't help but be just a little annoyed when I hear people's sigh of relief when they say no guests were harmed (I'm not pointing any fingers here, I just get that impression from the media). Cast members are people, too, and it's just as big a tragedy when a cast member is killed as when a guest is killed.

I'm a cast member, and I personally knew the driver. He was one of my coworkers at a previous location, and was a really nice guy. I will miss him. Rest in peace.

Yep, like its all about the guests, never mind that CM's are as much human beings as the guest.

[DVkid07]

As a Disney College Program Alumnus, it pains me to realize that the young man killed in this morning's tragic accident was spending some time as a Walt Disney World intern at what for many turns out to be a "dream job." So sad to see someone taken at this age.

My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and coworkers during what is for many a shocking and startling time.

[Coast21]

Very sad news, my condolences to the family for the tragic loss.

[Baloo]

i may be wrong but maybe we should try and not to speculate on how the accident happen or who was at fault. That is how false information is spread thoughout the net.
I think we need to let Management along with those in charge of the investigation do their job without any of us speculating about the accident.


I think instead we should focus on the terrible lost of this young man and the terrible ordeal his family must be going through

[BigBobxxx]

Disney World monorail crash kills driver - CNN.com

Now that I've seen numerous photos, including one video, one thing that
has me curious is, *why* the impact scene is clearly being shown in
two different locations.


The original still, as has been on the CNN website (abobe link), shows the impact
damage with the collision clearly outdoors.

The one video I've seen, on the other hand, clearly shows the impact
damage with the monorails now inside the TTC monorail loading
platform.
Were the trains moved after impact (possibly to evacuate guests)?
It would seem that they were.

[RumRunner31]

Originally Posted by BigBobxxx

Disney World monorail crash kills driver - CNN.com

Now that I've seen numerous photos, including one video, one thing that
has me curious is, *why* the impact scene is clearly being shown in
two different locations.


The original still, as has been on the CNN website (abobe link), shows the impact
damage with the collision clearly outdoors.

The one video I've seen, on the other hand, clearly shows the impact
damage with the monorails now inside the TTC monorail loading
platform.
Were the trains moved after impact (possibly to evacuate guests)?
It would seem that they were.

The reverse. The incident happened with purple's driver cab in the station. After they got the Guests out of purple (what you see in the video) they later had to back the impact-site off the platform to get the captain of Pink out (which you see in the "outdoors" pictures).

I will say this again: Mods, PLEASE add an update or clarification to the OP here. If it is going to remain as a link in the "News" section, as well as a headline on the MiceAge Home Page, the sensationalist and untrue aspects of the OP (surely unintentional, the story was very young) should be clarified for the people still visiting the site and reading for the 1st time. The impact was not at high speed. There was no family "freed by emergency workers from the crushed nosecone". A family of 6 doesn't even't FIT in the nosecone of a WDW monorail, the capacity is 4. There are far too many people who will read the first post and nothing after and pass along false information.

[joanna71985]

So sad!

Prayers to the CM's family, the other driver, and to other monorail CMs who knew him.

[PleaseRemainSeated]

Originally Posted by boomerthemoose

I can't help but be just a little annoyed when I hear people's sigh of relief when they say no guests were harmed (I'm not pointing any fingers here, I just get that impression from the media). Cast members are people, too, and it's just as big a tragedy when a cast member is killed as when a guest is killed.

I'm a cast member, and I personally knew the driver. He was one of my coworkers at a previous location, and was a really nice guy. I will miss him. Rest in peace.

Well, since I expressed the sentiment you're talking about just a few posts above you, I want to specifically say, regardless of whether your post was directed at me or not, that I absolutely don't think that it's 'okay', or 'better' or in any way less significant or tragic if a cast member gets hurt as opposed to a guest - my intention was to express relief (such as it is) only that the accident wasn't worse than it was; with machinery that big, and that many people, it could have been. I had the assumption that the pilots are the only CMs actually on the monorail train, so any other fatalities would have to have been guests.

I'm really sorry for your loss, and for statements like mine that come off as unfeeling - accidents like this shouldn't happen to anyone.

[flynnibus]

Originally Posted by BigBobxxx

The one video I've seen, on the other hand, clearly shows the impact
damage with the monorails now inside the TTC monorail loading
platform.
Were the trains moved after impact (possibly to evacuate guests)?
It would seem that they were.

There is much more of this type of discussion in the other thread - linked in the first post here

Monorails Collide at WDW - One Killed

[FrankieD]

Originally Posted by RumRunner31

The reverse. The incident happened with purple's driver cab in the station. After they got the Guests out of purple (what you see in the video) they later had to back the impact-site off the platform to get the captain of Pink out (which you see in the "outdoors" pictures).

Actually that now makes a lot more sense.

vBulletin can be configured so that the posts can be reported to the moderators. Evidently when the forum was configured, the decision was made not enable post reporting.

[flynnibus]

Originally Posted by FrankieD

vBulletin can be configured so that the posts can be reported to the moderators. Evidently when the forum was configured, the decision was made not enable post reporting.

??

Just click on the red and white ! icon under the poster's avatar to reach the report post function.

[hurricanefreak]

My thoughts and prayers go out for the family and his fellow cast members. Life is short and there is more time than life

[Retrocool]

I'd seen this news earlier and was disturbed. That a driver was killed.... even more disturbing.

Granted, it's an isolated event over the course of the monorail's history... but this sort of thing does not help the pro-monorail argument.

[EastCoastn07]

Originally Posted by NormalVisual

Hi guys,

I'm a former Mark VI railie, and I stay in touch with a fair number of folks in the department. Here's what I've heard. I'm going to stress that it's what I've heard, and I can't represent this as absolute fact. Take that for what it's worth.

The short, short version is that Monorail Central cleared Monorail Pink in reverse into the Concourse (the Epcot side of the TTC) station without being aware that Monorail Purple was still in the station. Pink was cleared with MAPO override, meaning that the driver would have disabled the anti-collision system (there are a variety of legitimate reasons for doing this), and would have been acting on faith that Central wouldn't have cleared him into a dangerous situation because it sometimes is difficult to see everything you'd want to in the cab mirrors, particularly at night on a curve such as the one he was backing along. For whatever reason, Purple just sat in the station without attempting to avoid the accident, and was struck by Pink moving at the full 15 mph allowed during MAPO override. From what I understand, the driver of Purple was a new transfer from another department. Why Central would not have made sure the station was clear before moving any trains is a bit of a mystery, but I've heard that no one was actually in the control console (the control tower-looking place at Concourse) at the time. To my knowledge, there were no electrical or mechanical problems in play here. Again, I have to stress that I'm relating what I've heard, and I was not there. This is a second-hand account from others more familiar with the situation.

First of all, I too am a former Monorail Pilot at Walt Disney World, having spent 5 months earlier this year working there. I just wanted to clear something up, the driver who was killed this morning WAS NOT a new driver nor was he a transfer in from another department. When I worked in the department I knew him personally, but because he was part time I didn't see too much of him when I was working in rails. It truly is a sad day in Monorails and the Walt Disney family as a whole.

Also, anything you hear on any of the websites or news sites in Orlando on what happened to cause this tragedy is nothing but speculation. I have a friend who still works in rails that explained everything that happened to me, but I really don't think its my place to be telling it to the world.

[Dante101]

Originally Posted by Retrocool

Granted, it's an isolated event over the course of the monorail's history... but this sort of thing does not help the pro-monorail argument.

Pro-monorail argument? You mean the argument for cities to build monorails for public transportation? I disagree. There is no mode of transportation that is completely safe -- not even walking. I don't think the monorails are a flawed system (which is what the argument, if raised, would be).

The Disney monorails have a fantastic safety record, which is really remarkable considering they are mostly run by college-aged kids. No offense meant by that -- I used to drive the monorails, myself.