Linda Krueger-Small, 68, of Lake Forest was killed after she was struck by a freight train on December 15, 2008. The Anaheim train accident occurred after Krueger-Small’s car became stuck on the railroad tracks near Lakeview and Orangethorpe avenues. A passerby tried to get her out of the vehicle, but couldn’t do so before the train hit the vehicle. Our source for this blog is this news report in The Orange County Register. The train’s engineer apparently told officials that he saw the vehicle on the tracks, but couldn’t stop the train in time to avoid the fatal collision.
I offer my deepest condolences to the family of Linda Krueger-Small, who died in this tragic accident. Going by readers’ comments to the news report, she was obviously well regarded and loved by many. Unfortunately, she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. My heart also goes out to the Good Samaritan who tried to help Krueger-Small get out of the car, but wasn’t able to do so. I pray for his emotional recovery from this traumatic incident.
I trust this train crossing accident will be thoroughly investigated by all authorities concerned. But the big question that remains at the moment is: How did Linda Krueger-Small’s vehicle get stuck on the tracks. There are barricade arms at that Anaheim railway crossing. I’m wondering if the arms at the crossing were functioning properly or if they came down too quickly. Both possibilities could have caused Krueger-Small’s vehicle to get stuck. It would also be interesting to find out why she could not get out of the vehicle or why the Good Samaritan could not get her out in time.
If this accident occurred as a result of malfunctioning arms at the crossing, then the railroad company could be held liable for the accident. The investigation will also look into whether the engineer had sufficient time to stop the train before it collided with Krueger-Small’s vehicle. The family of Linda Krueger-Small would be well-advised to retain the services of an experienced Orange County train accident attorney, who will make sure that the responsible parties are held accountable for what happened to this victim.