Woman, Children Hit By Train In Derry Twp.

It is absolutely NOT the job of the government to protect people from themselves....lol....that's actually the problem WITH our government. And we are all right, it is no ones FAULT! All I meant to put out there for thought was that the bridge is just as risky as the tracks..it really truly is....I think that is a very legitimate reason that people do use the tracks.

Anonymous you are right, even with an elevated walkway, people will still continue to cross on the ground...and as far as Jaggers comment about the tax dollars .. I think we all agree with that!

Well Elmer was on TV and yes he was in jail for DUI. So I'd say he also takes risks that involve other people's lives. Listen if you want to Cross the tracks and Kill yourself that's one thing. Or if you was to drive drunk and hit a tree and kill yourself that's another thing. But these people are knowingly breaking the LAW and jeopardizing other's safety. The point is NO you do not take these children across the tracks or the bridge for a pleasure trip if it's dangerous.
If you have a car use it for the right reasons. If you don't have your significant other watch the children or a neighbor then as an adult make a quick trip to get what you absolutely have to. The neighbor gave her money to get milk??
Why not borrow a cup of milk or ask her to watch the kids or ask her to run over. There were so many more options. If you live there then you know that to cross the tracks you will be killed.
This is no law suit. This was stupidity. How can Elmer say she was a hero???
A hero would not have put others in harms way. Elmer I'd hang my head in shame for if you were home you could have watched the children, or gone yourself over the bridge. At WHY weren't you there??? Shame on you and shame on her. 3 children living with 2 adults without a brain between them.

dearest "in the know"....the chances of getting killed by a train or hit by a car on the bridge are probably less than being in a car accident ...so if we exonerate ourselves from every possible danger while taking a trip with our children somewhere for pleasure, then I guess we should just stay home...the point is that there needs to be a guiderail on the bridge for safety and the stairs accessing the bridge need repaired so they can actually be used...this would not have prevented this tragedy and I am quite sure there will be more but it would make the situation here safer, which is all anyone is asking.

I am utterly offended that you assume I endanger my children in the least. The bridge is scary and delapidated and is not up to todays standards. This is the reason that I do not frequently use it. It would be nice, however, to be able to enjoy going for walks with my children more often and I don't think we should have to jump in a car every time we want to take a leisurely stroll. And the only reason I brought up taking my pleasure trips on this board was so that the people on here who felt it is such a safe way to go could hear from someone who knows it is not. But again, one more person ASSUMES to know it all.

And by the way, I hope you all make sure you follow our speed limit through town here, because I also consider it scary and a little dangerous trying to cross 217 with all the maniacs speeding through town, just to go to my grandmother's house. But maybe I should put the kids in the car and drive the 15 feet to her house instead cause that would be safer, right?

Asshamed: Yes, anything that ensures safety should be first and foremost your main concern. If you want to take the kids out go to the soccer fields or the pool or anywhere you know they will be safe and YOU are not putting them in danger.
If you know it is dangerous YES then go in the car to town. It's not about what you want to do, it's about obeying the laws DO NOT TRESPASS, especially crossing the train tracks. It's about safety for YOUR children. As far as the bridge goes, yes i feel they should fix the steps and put up rails. I said by fining those who continue to cross the tracks it will be paid for in no time being that people just don't get it TRAINS KILL.
Your children come before what you want to do so YES in THEIR best interest do what you must to keep them safe.

Ashamed wrote:

oh..and to you kat, you are the one missing the point....the bridge is not any safer than the tracks...you are taking a risk of injury either way

YOu are right, Ashamed...the bridge is dangerous too. There are trains all over the sidewalk on that bridge! It's terrible!!!

in the know wrote:

Asshamed: Yes, anything that ensures safety should be first and foremost your main concern. If you want to take the kids out go to the soccer fields or the pool or anywhere you know they will be safe and YOU are not putting them in danger.
If you know it is dangerous YES then go in the car to town. It's not about what you want to do, it's about obeying the laws DO NOT TRESPASS, especially crossing the train tracks. It's about safety for YOUR children. As far as the bridge goes, yes i feel they should fix the steps and put up rails. I said by fining those who continue to cross the tracks it will be paid for in no time being that people just don't get it TRAINS KILL.
Your children come before what you want to do so YES in THEIR best interest do what you must to keep them safe.

so what are ppl supoosed to do if they dont have car? walk on the damn bridge tht only fits one person at a time.. more ppl are going to be killed from getting ran over on that bridge.. make a pathway.. god ur idiots

get a job and buy a car like the rest of us

Exactly! I agree with "anonymous".

anonymous wrote:

<quoted text>
I guess you are right. I should have compassion for less fortunate. But, remember, people make choices that cause them to be less fortunate. I am not directing that to the victims, just to anyone. I do not know the victims or their cirucumstances, so I apologize.
I simply just do not believe that it is our town government's fault or their job to fix the problem. Yes, a new walkway would be a great convenience to many but people will still choose not to use it. I just don't think we should blame anyone.

I agree 100% with anonymous. We are all given a brain and the right to make choices. Unfortunately, we don't always choose the right choice.

emg wrote:

<quoted text>
so what are ppl supoosed to do if they dont have car? walk on the damn bridge tht only fits one person at a time.. more ppl are going to be killed from getting ran over on that bridge.. make a pathway.. god ur idiots

Try using your head for more than just a camera. Otherwise, you can cross the tracks at your "pathway" and maybe live to tell about it. Judging from your grammar, I'm willing to bet that you cross there daily.

are you guys serious? obviously i put my childrens safety first and foremost ..... that's why i don't often walk over the bridge.... if and when i do it is with my husband and my children and they are obviously old enough to be safe...you don't know anything about me so don't presume you are better or more knowledgeable than i am ..especially when it comes to my children....they are my #1 priority and keeping them safe is at the top of the list. if you knew me, if you knew my family, if you could ask any one of the neighbors i have that sing our praises, you wouldn't be so quick to think im some idiot!

i think we would all agree that the bridge could be made safer...this is the only point i was trying to make.. is that so terrible of me? that i wanted to point that out? am i not getting the point across? all i wanted to say was that i can see why people take the short cut...yes, it is a very stupid thing to do, yes it is breaking the law, but come on.. i am so disheartened this morning to see that i can't post an opinion as to the other side of this issue without being attacked for it.

i will not be back to post here... i do not need to spend time reading people personally attack me or those less fortunate....you guys can't seem to debate the issues here, all you want to do is make snarky comments about people.

thank you emg for your post..glad im not the only one who can see both sides of an issue!

lol..yeah i know i said i was done with this but one last thing to those of you who say get a job and a car like the rest of us...

i only started this because i had a very dear friend who had severe ms, couldn't walk or barely use his hands, lived with an elderly mother who lost her ability to drive....they had to rely on others to do things for them and it was hard...do you think they should be home bound for the rest of their lives? because he tried to go for rides on his motorized cart to get out into the world and interact with people and the bridge walkway pavement was so atrocious that it threw his cart onto the street. he never went back after that. my heart goes out to people like this..they are cut off from all of the stores on this side of town....if they could just have a safe way to get over there it would make it a better community..and that is all i was after, to make the point that we could make things safer for those less fortunate..but i guess im just crazy!

"in the know" - I do know that you are right on with what you are saying. It is impossible to fence and/or patrol all the railroad tracks in this country so why start in Derry! I grew up around railroad tracks, played, road bicycles, motorcycles and even hooped trains as a young boy and teen and have never had a close call. Trains can be not only heard but seen a long ways off giving you plenty of time to get to safety unless you are testing fate!!!!!! Derry; wake up and get off your soap box!! It is individuals stupid decissions to do what these unfortunate deceased people have done but they paid for their mistakes; why have someone else pay additionally in a monitary way for someone elses stupidity??

in the know wrote:

NO it's time for the people of Derry to take responsibility for their actions.
Why is it everyone else's issue the SHE chose to cross the tracks. YOU know what the consequences are when you take your own life let alone your children's lives in your hands and go up against a train. For God's sake even at 35 miles per hour IT'S a TRAIN!!!! ANYONE caught on the tracks should be given a hefty fine due immediately or throw them in jail until they come up with the money. That will save their life for sure!!! Don't spend all this money to make another crossing. Take the bridge or take your life in YOUR OWN HANDS. Just like anything else in life. Drive FAST you take your life and other's in your hands. PAY THE PENALTY. UNDERSTAND THE LAWS are there to protect you. YOU HAVE TO OBEY THEM.

A fence is on its way, this should help in controlling the urge to comitt a federal offense by crossing the tracks. Also the bridge is passable in is current position, Derry Council as of Monday nights meeting might just add to next years budget some money to make and schedule minor repairs as we / they / the borough is responcible from the time the bridge was built in 1965. We are making headway, keep on writing to council.

to ashamed, you said the bridge is not safer than the tracks, well I am sure you won't get hit and killed by a train on the BRIDGE............

I am no longer Ashamed, I am now Astonished....do you really think I am condoing using the tracks? or that I think a train could actually hit me on the bridge sidewalk? are you serious?

It is a fact that a disabled man tried to cross the bridge and because of a ill-repaired chunk of sidewalk was flung out into traffic where he was hurt and had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital.

I am a college educated tax paying citizen of Derry....Yes, it is a federal offense to cross the tracks and people should NOT be doing it....but the point is, and will always be, that the bridge is not the epitomy of safety you all seem to think it is...do you even live here? have you ever pushed a stroller or wheelchair across it? yes, this is my choice to do a "pleasure" trip but for a lot of people in this town, it is a necessity!

I am against using the tracks and I am against tons of taxpayer money trying to protect people from their own stupid mistakes....however, having said that, being a tax payer who uses that bridge on occasion, I would like to see repairs made!

Mr. DeRito thanks for your post with the info about the bridge...I am glad to see that someone cares to make it safer for us....however, I would just like to point out to you that when pushing a stroller or wheelchair over it, there is not enough room when someone comes at you head on to pass each other, especially if its another stroller. You have to step into the street and those cars really do fly and there are some blindspots depending on how fast traffic is going.
Fixing the cement work and installing a handrail would make me feel a lot better walking across there.

Glad to hear a fence is going up! However, I just pray that stupid people don't go and cut through it as they have before. I do believe I remember fence being there, as recent as this summer when I walked up under the bridge with the kids, not to trespass across the tracks but just because they wanted to see what "under a bridge" looked like. And those stairs there are a scary nightmare. I believe I read in the past that both Mr. Tepper and Ms. Lazarchek both spoke out about the safety issues of our bridge.

I can see that this is a very "hot" issue with people, not sure how many of them are from our town, and I really don't think there is any right answer. Someone will always die tragically and we cannot prevent that from happening...I was just naive enough to think that I could point out that some in our town may not feel they have a better option than those tracks! Boy did that put me in the hot seat! Well, thanks for the info!

Astonished wrote:

Mr. DeRito thanks for your post with the info about the bridge...I am glad to see that someone cares to make it safer for us....however, I would just like to point out to you that when pushing a stroller or wheelchair over it, there is not enough room when someone comes at you head on to pass each other, especially if its another stroller. You have to step into the street and those cars really do fly and there are some blindspots depending on how fast traffic is going.
Fixing the cement work and installing a handrail would make me feel a lot better walking across there.
Glad to hear a fence is going up! However, I just pray that stupid people don't go and cut through it as they have before. I do believe I remember fence being there, as recent as this summer when I walked up under the bridge with the kids, not to trespass across the tracks but just because they wanted to see what "under a bridge" looked like. And those stairs there are a scary nightmare. I believe I read in the past that both Mr. Tepper and Ms. Lazarchek both spoke out about the safety issues of our bridge.
I can see that this is a very "hot" issue with people, not sure how many of them are from our town, and I really don't think there is any right answer. Someone will always die tragically and we cannot prevent that from happening...I was just naive enough to think that I could point out that some in our town may not feel they have a better option than those tracks! Boy did that put me in the hot seat! Well, thanks for the info!

I must say that it makes me very sad about your friend with the wheelchair. I only wish that I could have been there to help. I do live in Derry and its sad that people don't care to help or just don't want to make time. After reading more of your comments, I realize that you weren't initially trying to blame anyone. I think that when something like this first happens, blame is the only way out of the sadness. I think I may have walked across the bridge once this summer while walking to the lake and I do see how it would be hard for someone in a wheelchair. I wouldn't expect many repairs, from what I read in the paper, it sounds they will wait til a new bridge is built.