Aug 7, 2006 6:17 pm US/Eastern
LIRR Faces Safety Questions Following Girl's Death
CBS 2 Measures Width Of Gaps On Train Platforms
By Dave Carlin
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Concerns about safety on the rails have been heightened after a young tourist was struck and killed by a Long Island Railroad train on Sunday.
The victim, 18-year-old Natalie Smead of Northfield, Minn., fell onto the track, was struck and later died at Bellevue Hospital. Signs are posted on every train that read, "Watch the gap." CBS 2 spoke to riders who think the width of the space is too dangerous.
"It is very wide you have to really watch," said Laura Condron.
Smead fell into the gap and down onto the tracks on Saturday. Smead was with a group of girlfriends heading to a Dave Matthews Band concert at Randall's Island. She was on westbound train and fell into the gap. Investigators said Smead crawled under the platform to the other side and tried to get back on the platform. That's when she was hit by another train.
Riders who think they know the width of the gaps are often wrong. CBS 2 put it to the test. We used a tape measure. The conductor was watching and aware of what we were doing. We carefully measured from the lip of the door to the platform to see how wide the spaces are. In one place we found a gap of 10 inches.
Jamaica resident Chanya Gravesande, who is 5-foot-6 and 120 pounds, is small enough to be swallowed up.
"That could happen to me too," Gravesande said. "They should try and extend the tracks or have a step come out when the door opens."
There was no response to those ideas from officials at the LIRR. A spokesman provided a written statement saying because the investigation is still active there will be no further comment.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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