Ace Rail Struck and Killed a Sierra High School Student

Tuesday Ace Rail struck and killed a teenager
This scene just sickens me.  Can you imagine the father performing CPR.  It is unclear if this is the friend's father, or the victims's father, but either way it was tragic.  The train engineer probably could see this coming for some time, with nothing he could do. Trains do not stop quickly.  the article says the train continued for 100 yards before it could stop.   The child was a student at Sierra High School, where my son graduated a few years ago.  It appears to have happened close to victim's residence.  The way I understand the story, they were crossing the San Joaquin River on the train trestle.  Two friends, one made it across, and the other was struck about ten feet short of the end of trestle where he could have gotten off.  He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The next day I took some pictures of the site when I went past on Wednesday, and there was a spontaneous remembrance taking place.

Ace Train 53: Train Safety

http://www.mantecabulletin.com/section/1/article/115753/
This article in the Manteca Bulletin is very applicable to my commute.  Three times I have been delayed because someone has been killed on the tracks.  Another time the light rail had the same problem.  Another time we were delayed because the AmTrak struck somebody and killed them over the route we travel.  It seems the CalTrain has even more problems than the Ace Train.  Train safety is a real problem.  On several times I have seen close calls, Usually involving the Light Rail

Ace Train 47: Be Careful

I have talked before about how dangerous the Bascom Station Light Rail could be; especially if trains were coming both directions.  I once saw a bicyclist almost get hit here at the Southwest side of the station.  I usually use the Fruitdale Station rather than Bascom, but went that way today and came upon this memorial.  The memorial is to a 14 year old girl who passed away in January as a result of injuries she sustained in a bicycle, train accident.
 http://news.kron4.com/news/bicyclist-hit-by-vta-lightrail-expect-delays/

This is at Stokes where it crosses the Light Rail tracks.  Northeast of Bascom Station.  This was next to Del Mar High School.  The accident was early in the morning, so she must have been on her way to school.  I am not sure if she was a student at Del Mar or still in Middle school.  None of the articles mentioned what happened, but it is obvious there are friends and family who are hurting.

Ace Train 45: Earthquakes Stadium and Train Safety

The exterior of the San Francisco 49er Stadium is pretty much done, and doesn't change any these days.  However the Earthquake Stadium is now also showing good progress.  The steal beams for another side are going up.
Unfortunately this post has a more serious theme.  Friday, in going to work the light-rail announced that the train could not go past Fruitdale Station (this is my stop anyway.)  There was a bicyclist-train accident at Bascom Station.  The individual on the bike was not killed, but seriously injured and had to be life-flighted.
And then yesterday, I hear the first Ace-train struck a pedestrian.   I did not go to work yesterday, but if I had I would have been late getting home.
http://livermore.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/pedestrian-killed-after-being-struck-by-train
Trains can be so dangerous.  In Argentina, where there are many trains, a common goodbye was, "Don't get hit by a train."  I think this reminded people to be careful.  I offer this little song, to remind us of the same theme.

Choo, choo the big train is headed down the track
Stop, Look and Listen
May we all be safe.