PORT COQUITLAM, British Columbia — The widow of a Canadian Pacific engineer killed earlier this month says her husband was hit by the moving cars of another train as he ended his work day and wonders about safety procedures in the yard where the accident happened.
Kirk McLean, 56 and a 32-year veteran of the railroad, was killed in a Dec. 2 accident at the yard in Port Coquitlam. Brenda McLean told the Vancouver Sun that she had been told he had just brought a train into the yard and was walking across tracks to end his shift when he was struck. The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference says it was the 10th fatality of one of its members in the last 24 months. [See “CP employee killed in British Columbia,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 4, 2019.]
In a letter to investigators, the newspaper said, Brenda McLean raised questions about why there wasn’t better lighting in the yard, whether there had been radio communications to alert others that her husband’s train had arrived, and management’s role when two or more trains are moving in the yard at the same time.
Canadian Pacific, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, and the B.C. Coroners Service are all investigating an accident. A union spokesman said the union was participating in the investigations but “we’re still far from having a complete picture of what happened.”
Agreed Miss Harding. I learned a long time ago “Expect a train any time and any direction”. My condolences as well to the McLean family. Unfortunately we are all careless at times and for the most part are lucky we don”t get injured or killed.
My condolences to Mrs. McLean but … railroads are hazardous and it is drilled into everyone associated with one that you are to expect cars at any time from either direction.
The above comments are generic in nature and do not form the basis for an attorney/client relationship. They do not constitute legal advice. I am not your attorney.
Condolences for all involved. A sad yet preventable event. During my career I had to deal with a few of these types of fatalities. Just like Bob said everyone who works for a railroad has been careless at one time or another and yet we have survived. End of a shift, in a hurry to get to the yard office to tie up, etc. and then a split second lapse.
Are engineers and conductors required to have Right of Way training? I had to as part of my work with MBTA; I work on the transit side and not rail. I have to wear a tear-away protective vest, and carry a flashlight, at a minimum. I’ve seen engineers crossing tracks at the Cabot Commuter rail yard with neither; are the rules different for rail?