Arizona Light-Rail and Bus Collide

Early Wednesday morning, a Valley metro bus and a light-rail train collided at First Avenue and Washington Street. Eight people were taken to the hospital for injuries.

According to Metro spokeswoman Marty McNeil, video footage showed that the bus driver had a red turn arrow which he/she failed to consider. The bus tried to make a right turn onto Washington from First Avenue and collided with the train, which was approaching Washington on the right side of the bus. The circumstances remain under investigation.

However, if the bus driver did fail to stop at a right turn arrow, and this was a cause of the collision, then obviously he/she was at fault. Amid all of the recent discussions regarding the light-rail and it’s poor management and treatment of operators this accident makes me wonder if our Valley bus drivers ever received any instruction on sharing the roads with the light-rail. Considering we have now had 22 accidents involving the light-rail, wouldn’t it be prudent by now to have made sure that at least city bus driver have had new instruction on how to incorporate the trains safely into their routes? I am hoping this is a rhetorical question.

This also leads me to further ponder whether or not any mention of the light-rail has been incorporated into the Motor Vehicle Department’s driver’s license manuals. Shouldn’t new drivers learn about the light-rail before receiving their driver’s license? It clearly is not going away anytime soon. However, for those of us who already have an Arizona drivers license I did find an informative page at www.valleymetro.org if you click on METRO Light Rail under other services.

All of this aside, according to the Metro, none of the previous 21 accidents have been their driver’s fault. If the reports I have seen so far are correct, then they are not at fault in this accident either.

We know the light rail is going to take some adjustment time for all. If you travel in the area, please be careful. Injury accidents are best if avoided altogether. Thus far I don’t recall any serious injuries. Sooner or later, one will certainly occur. Who is at fault will have little meaning to the injured or their family. Let’s all keep this in mind, and all use a little more caution and observation when in the areas of the light rail.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email Chris Zachar directly at Czachar@zacharlaw.com, or visit our website at ZacharAssociates.com .