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NTSB to look for LIRR gap 'patterns'

BY ANDREW STRICKLER | Newsday Staff Writer

August 25, 2006

A federal investigation into the recent death of a teenager killed after she fell into the gap between the train and platform will look for "patterns of similarities" in related accidents on the Long Island Rail Road going back more than two years, officials said.

National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Terry Williams said yesterday that a field investigator has begun to examine the circumstances of Natalie Smead's death at the Woodside station in Queens.

Smead, 18, fell as she traveled to Randalls Island for a concert on Aug. 5. She was struck and killed by a second train after she crawled under the platform, apparently in an attempt to find safety.

"Any time there is a fatality, we want to investigate that," Williams said. "We've decided to look into this to see if there are similarities between this accident and these other accidents."

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so tonight's accident victim was a graffiti "artist". ONLY the NY Times cares! Send his "parents" the bill for tying up working people trying to get home!

Submitted by Tired of it all

9:56 PM EST, Jan 5, 2007

tonights incident is the equivalent of "snow days" in the public school system! viva la mexico! if you see something, say something!

Submitted by Freeport

9:49 PM EST, Jan 5, 2007

one "accident" strands 200,000 commuters in their tracks! Makes you feel REAL confident about the homeland security & evacuation plans we continue to pay for!!!!

Submitted by Freeport

9:47 PM EST, Jan 5, 2007

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There were 115 gap-related accidents in 2004 and last year on the LIRR. None of the previous accidents were fatalities. Reviews of gap widths by Newsday have shown that the gaps reach 15 inches at some stations.

The initial phase of the NTSB investigation will take between four and 10 days and will focus on the accident site. This will be followed by a lengthy examination of reports from previous accidents. The investigation, which began Wednesday, is expected to take between six months and a year.

Williams said the investigation likely will culminate in a list of recommendations to the LIRR that could touch on a broad range of operational or infrastructure issues. "We're right in the early stages of the investigation, so it's too early to tell what those recommendations might be," he said.

The NTSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating civil transportation accidents. This is the third investigation into train safety launched by state and local officials since Smead's accident.