Major Grade Crossing Accident in 1970's?

Hi gang,

i'm currently working on a short story for a course at school that's set in 1970's LI, and being a railfan, i was looking to incorporate some LIRR history into it. when i pitched the idea to a teacher of mine he said that he remembers a major grade crossing accident that occured in the mid 70's that i might look into using as a supporting detail. i have had no luck finding anything so far. do any of you recall any such accidents? any information you could offer would be a great help. thanks!

I do not remember the exact time, but there was a truly tragic accident at Mineola where a van with nine teens was struck with eight of them being killed.

Seems like this was in the 1970s... anyone have more accurate time, numbers, or details?

Your teacher may have his dates slightly off. There was an accident at the Herricks Road crossing near the Mineola / Garden City line. (The grade crossing there has since been eliminated).

Late one night, a van carrying 10 teenagers tried to go around the lowered crossing gates. 9 were killed.

I believe this happened in 1982, but if you include "Herricks Road" in your search, you'll probably find the dates. A search of Newsday's archives (though their online archives may not go back that far) will get you the sad and gruesome details.

I think one of the LIRR's Alco RS-3's was seriously damaged in a grade crossing accident in Riverhead in, I believe, 1970. It was repaired with parts from a PRR RS-3, if I'm not mistaken. Maybe someone could expand on this.....

Thanks for all of your help so far guys!

CTG, i took your advice and searched the Newsday archives online, and although the archives don't go back that far, I was successful in finding a reference to it in a 1986 article. You were right, the accident was in 1982.

Legio, i think i know what you're referring to. Richard Glueck was telling me about an accident involving #215. Perhaps he could elaborate further for us...

Yes, the grade crossings are great sources of fodder for the gristle mill! I went to one as a little boy in Riverhead, where and RS3 cut a Borden's milk truck into four slices. Happened right where the Museum is today! All manner of gore and splatter too.

There was the 215 being overturned in the early to mid 60's, when kids threw a switch under it, demolishing the parlor car and the first coach or two, not to mention the loco.

There is the ALCO FA that got butchered on the Port Jeff line.

The Budd Car that took on an asphalt truck, crushing the engineer.

The 1555, nailing a potato truck, destroying the front end and proving that Long Island once had a thriving spud industry.

Then there are the penny-ante collisions of suicidal idiots, thrill seekers, drunks, and dopey kids taking a dare.

They never learn. You should have all kinds of material to draw upon.

Out side of the van with the kiddies collision, I can't seam to recall any major ones in that time frame. Limited to grade crossings collisions only, the worst one I can remember happening that made national news for days was a grade crossing collision in Nyack, where a bus load of high schoolers were killed when the driver ran a crossing and was broadsided by a PennCentral freight. I think that may have been 1969-71 time frame.

1555 was the RS-3 that was repaired with the Pennsy nose. It was distingished from the other LIRR RS-3's by the marker lights that were standard on PRR.

C420 #215 was damaged in a derailment caused by a switch that had been tampered with?

There's a picture of that RS-3 in the Scala book. It was nick named hungry jack because I believe it hit a potato truck. It was also nicknamed snake eyes because of the Pennsy marker lights.

Paul wrote:Out side of the van with the kiddies collision, I can't seam to recall any major ones in that time frame. Limited to grade crossings collisions only, the worst one I can remember happening that made national news for days was a grade crossing collision in Nyack, where a bus load of high schoolers were killed when the driver ran a crossing and was broadsided by a PennCentral freight. I think that may have been 1969-71 time frame.

I believe it was 1971. I remember reading about it in an issue of Readers Digest as a kid. God awful tragedy.

Stuart

The Herricks Rd. van accident seems to have been the defining grade crossing incident of its time. However, there also was a series of accidents at crossings in Massapequa Park during the grade-crossing elimination project of the early 1970's, when temporary tracks were in use right next to Sunrise Hwy. Someone said a while back in these forums that Unqua Rd. was the most notorius. I also remember seeing a lighted flashing sign at the crossing at Mass. Pk. Station during that time, warning of another train coming from the opposite direction. This was installed after one or more persons had been hit while going around the gates after the first train passed. It was a simple but effective forerunner of the system now in use at the Stewart Ave. crossing at Bethpage Station.

And so it goes at grade crossings..............

Legio X wrote:I think one of the LIRR's Alco RS-3's was seriously damaged in a grade crossing accident in Riverhead in, I believe, 1970. It was repaired with parts from a PRR RS-3, if I'm not mistaken. Maybe someone could expand on this.....

I was a passenger on that train ... The Shelter Island Express from Jamaica to Greenport on a Friday evening in the summer of 1970 ... LIRR 1555 was on the head end as noted by Richard Glueck .... we hit a loaded trailer of potatoes at a grade crossing in Manorville ... no serious injuries ... buses arrived in a couple of hours to deliver us to the stations from Riverhead to Greenport.
.

I remember as a teenager and as a younger man the amazement I felt when seeing some of the local Sachem School District buses stopping ON THE TRACKS, opening their doors, then looking both ways!!!! (Yes, they actually stopped ON THE TRACKS!! Might have been the same stupid driver each time for all I know.)

Glad my kids weren't on those buses!

Felt sorry for those that were!

Ignorance is bliss, I guess, as there were never any trains coming at the time. Guess God was watching out for those kids.

Dave Keller