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NEW YORK STATE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD RAIL SAFETY SECTION ABBREVIATED REPORT CASE NUMBER: 9531 DATE OF ACCIDENT: October 14, 2007 CARRIER: MTA Long Island Rail Road TYPE OF ACCIDENT: Collision SYNOPSIS: On Sunday, October 14, 2007, at approximately 6:22 p.m., the conductor on board westbound train #8709 operating on the Montauk Branch east of Southampton Station reported to the train’s engineer that he heard a loud banging noise outside the rear end of the first passenger car. The eight car train was made up of six coach cars and two locomotives and was traveling at a speed of approximately 40 mph in an area where the maximum allowable speed is 65 mph. There were approximately 250 passengers on board the train and the train crew consisted of an engineer, a conductor, and an assistant conductor. Approximately eight minutes later, when the train arrived at the next scheduled stop in Southampton, the conductor detrained and visually inspected the outside of the train. The conductor found damage consistent with being struck by an object along the side of four of the six coach cars and an automobile wiring harness hanging from one of the coach cars. At 6:35 p.m., the conductor radioed the Long Island Rail Road Movement Bureau of the damage he discovered. The Movement Bureau ordered the train to continue on to Speonk Station and to hold there for MTA Police and LIRR supervisory personnel to further inspect the train. Passengers on board the train were discharged at Speonk Station at 6:48 p.m. and the train was taken out of service. At 10:45 p.m., a post-accident brake test was conducted on train #8709 and the remaining equipment was inspected and released. MTA Police and Suffolk County Aviation Police responded to the area near where the conductor first heard the loud banging noise and conducted a search of the right of way east of Speonk. At approximately 8:08 p.m., MTA Police discovered automotive vehicle debris on the right of way approximately 500 feet west of the Deerfield Road grade crossing east of Southampton. Shortly thereafter, an unoccupied passenger vehicle with front driver’s side damage was found in a field approximately 100 feet southeast of the debris location. On October 16, 2007, at 1:40 p.m., MTA Police Detectives interviewed the operator of the damaged vehicle. The vehicle’s operator stated that in an attempt to make a u-turn on the dirt road next to the track, the vehicle skidded out of control and struck the passing LIRR train. The dirt road which runs adjacent to the tracks through this area connects a dead end street with several recreational fields that are privately owned. After the collision, the vehicle operator and his acquaintances left the scene after pushing the vehicle away from the track and into the field where it was later discovered by the Police. The vehicle operator was issued a citation for leaving the scene of a property damage only accident. There were no injuries as a result of the accident. Damage to the rail cars was confined to the road leveler arms and brackets of each of the involved coach cars. The accident occurred at dusk and the weather conditions at the time were clear with an ambient temperature of 55 degrees. The Public Transportation Safety Board does not believe weather to be a contributing cause to this accident. Disciplinary action was not taken against the LIRR crew nor was drug and alcohol testing deemed necessary. CONCLUSION The Public Transportation Safety Board staff finds that the most probable cause of this accident was vehicle operator losing control of his vehicle while attempting to turn around on the dirt access road. Based upon the facts developed in this investigation, the Public Transportation Board staff takes no issue with the property and makes no recommendations. NAME OF INVESTIGATOR: Jean-Paul Paraskevas DATE SUBMITTED: 12/6/2007 SIGNATURE: ___________________________________ Jerry Shook, Chief Transit and Commuter Rail Section Rail Safety Bureau.

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