Farmworker activist killed when train hits car

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Tue, Apr. 20, 2004

Farmworker activist killed when train hits car
Associated Press


PIERSON, Fla. - A farmworker activist was killed when he drove around a railroad crossing arm and was struck by a freight train.

Alfredo Bahena, 42, died Sunday night after his car was pushed almost a quarter-mile down the tracks, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

As the regional coordinator for the Farmworkers Association of Florida, Bahena earned a reputation as a tireless advocate for the laborers who work in the ferneries of Volusia County.

CSX spokesman Gary Sease said CSX crews were investigating the accident. He said electronic equipment at the crossing showed the traffic arms were working properly.
(snip/...)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/8473663.htm

[SeveneightyWhoa]

1. OMG!!!

When did Karl Rove get his train-driving license?!




(I'm sorry..I know I'm horrible).

[DS1]

6. that's precisely where I was going. barring that

Globalhawk Train Technology, remotely piloted by orphaned Red Flag winners from an undisclosed location.

[denverbill]

2. I hope the train driver actually saw him drive onto the tracks.

Anytime I see a labor activist die, I'm oddly suspicious.

[tom_paine]

3. One wonders whether another car pushed him

I agree with what you say about Suspicious Deaths, partiuclarly with the Grandson of Hitler's Angel ruling us.

I don't know the answer, but I do wonder...

[Richardo]

22. It doesn't matter if the engineer saw him or not...you can't stop a train

Depending on speed, a loaded freight train carries thousands of tons of freight and can take MILES to stop.

If you run a crossing gate, you are gambling with your life, and will most likely lose.

Richardo <--- former railroad employee.

[denverbill]

24. I realize that. That wasn't my point.

My point was that when a labor organizer is involved in an 'accident' like this, I always wonder if it really was an accident. If the train's driver saw the guy drive onto the tracks, then he would at least be reasonably sure the guy was alive and able to drive at the time.

If the train driver didn't see the car moving, the guy could've been knocked unconcious and left with his car stopped on the tracks for a train to finish him off.

[Richardo]

25. Ah. I did miss that point. Many locomotives have in-cab video now...

...for just such occurences.

[stopthegop]

4. yep...someone drives around the crossing arm..

and it not his fault...no mention of any other autos in the area...

that's rational thinking...

the guy took a chance, made a stupid choice, and died...live with it

[azmesa207]

5. Activist Killed

I was a engineer on the rail road and we weren't drivers and we don't go around trying to kill people the dumb jerk went around the barricades i8t hims fault

[el_gato]

8. You don't know the facts but you act like you do

How do you know he wasn't murdered? Have you interviewed the conductor?
Did you find any witnesses that are corroborating this story?

This thing seems kinda suspicious to me. It is very easy to see
a train coming and people don't usually try to play chicken with a train in the middle of the night.

You weren't there and you don't know all the facts. Live with it!

[BostonTeaParty04]

9. You can't believe how many people get hit by trains every year...

It's astounding...

the law books are filled with train cases...

Since the beginning of time... humans have not heeded the train tracks and the unstoppable tonnage of train that comes down them....

[demdave]

10. It is very easy to see a train coming, but difficult to determine speed

and distance. As for your assertion that "people don't usually try to play chicken with a train in the middle of the night." What world do you live in? That is precisely the time people break the law by bypassing the safety arm.

Put down the tinfoil and celebrate all the good the man did. This wingnut conspiracy nonsense cheapens his death.

[paulk]

18. I worked for the railroad over twenty years

and this sort of thing happens all the time. We used to have safety classes about it. People don't have a frame of reference for a train - it's size screws up their perceptions. It's always closer and going faster than they think it is.

There's nothing suspicious about this accident.

[Richardo]

23. Which railroad, paulk?

Richardo <-- DRGW/SP guy

[paulk]

27. Union Pacific

last three years in the DRGW Denver Hub - though we were on the road a lot. That Moffit tunnel sure is a creepy place.

MoWE
B&B/SE carpenter/welder

[Richardo]

28. Moffet Tunnel: 6-point-something miles of darkness and diesel fumes...

Seems to take forever. You really got to trust your dispatcher when you work that block, huh?

[rinsd]

13. While understanding suspicion...some stats

"It is very easy to see
a train coming and people don't usually try to play chicken with a train in the middle of the night."

It's crazy but train vs. car or truck accidents are more common than you would think.

Here's a link to train accident stories,

http://florida.injuryboard.com/view.cfm/Topic=76

Some more;

http://www.wcow.com/html/train_crashes_and_accidents.html

http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/publictn.htm

[stopthegop]

14. right...so assume the big bad train got him...

grow up...

[Judi Lynn]

7. Yeah, you really wouldn't want any information

about a labor activist posted on a Democratic message board.

That just wouldn't be right.

[Just Me]

12. I didn't read this thread until after I posted!!!

WTF?

Did I accidently turn to the wrong channel? Damn!!! It's like freeper fault-ville!!!

[Just Me]

11. A terrible loss.

There are few energetic advocates left for any underdog these days. I'm sure the farmworkers are very sad to lose this one. At least, obvious had a noble life,...one many will never forget.

[tkmorris]

15. Hmmm

I've been trying to swallow the idea of someone driving around the RR arms on to a train track with a train coming. It's kind of hard to swallow, unless you assume that they were unaware how close the train was. So, I decided to have a look at the crossing where this occured. Here is an aerial view.



The intersection is directly in the center there and the scale is 1 inch/100 meters. It would seem to me that there is an unobstructed view form the intersection for at least a couple hundred meters up and down the track. I can only conclude that he drove onto the track and just stopped there, which makes little sense, or he was playing chicken with the train. Possible, but it does seem dubious.

[Just Me]

17. Whoah, that is suspicious!!! Must have been one FAST train,...

,...or,

...crazy,...

[tkmorris]

20. I know, I know

I'm just saying he clearly saw the train coming, there's no doubt about that. Even if the arms malfunctioned and didn't lower, he knew a train was coming so driving up onto the tracks would have been a rather stupid thing to do.

As someone else pointed out, that particular stupidity is commited several times a year, though it is usually high school kids or drunken yahoos who do it, not farm-worker activists.

[Heyo]

26. People do it ALL THE TIME....

It's not that they don't see the train..... or don't see the crossing arm....

It's the same sentiment I would imagine in 99 percent of the cases...
"I can make it"

It's a fatal mistake in judgement of speed, distance and timing... too often made...unfortunately.

Heyo

[w4rma]

16. Imho, the author can not assert he "drove around a railroad crossing arm"

until the investigators conclude that is what happened:

…
CSX spokesman Gary Sease said CSX crews were investigating the accident. He said electronic equipment at the crossing showed the traffic arms were working properly.

FHP investigators will inspect Bahena's van to determine if it was operating properly when it was struck.
…

[Mike Daniels]

19. Well, it seems the options are drove around it or drove through it

If someone wanted to get rid of this guy there would be infinitely easier ways of doing it than either running his car onto the track (which requires pretty damn excellent timing to coordinate it with a train arriving) or placing the car on the track after otherwise incapacitating him (again pretty much relying that no-one is going to come by in the intervening time period before the train arrives).

You're right, no investigation is complete yet but it does seem that people are grasping to make this something more than the percentages probably allow.

[demdave]

21. ROVE! ROVE! ROVE! He used an EMP device to disable the vehicle and then

a localized electro magnet that not only pinned the front of the car to the track but also held the doors shut and accelerated the train into the vehicle. Then he used a memory spell to convince the engineer that it was all an accident.

DAMN you Rove!!!!!