Google: “Train Crash” results on Monday, August 25

Keeping up with the news here at the Benicia Independent sometimes requires a Google search.  Typically, I will use a search string such as “oil train derail” and limit the search to news during the past 24 hours.

Today, reflecting on the fact that I heard about the head-on freight train crash in Arkansas 5 days after it happened, by word of mouth no less (!), I wondered what would happen if I Googled a simpler string: “train crash.”

I was surprised, and a little shocked at the result: in the last 24 hours, news sources picked up on 5 train crashes in the U.S., all today.  And it’s only 5:30pm PST.  Google also displayed a news story on a train crash that happened two days ago, and a near-accident in New York City.

Could this have been a typical news day?   (See the Google links below.)

Five U.S. train crash stories in a single day:

• Train crashes into semi in Marion County, IN; no injuries reported

• The Oregonian – OregonLive.com–12 minutes ago

  An Amtrak train hit a semi-truck carrying cattle feed Monday afternoon in Marion County, the Sheriff’s Office said. No injuries were reported. (Marion County …

• Green Line light rail train hits pedestrian in St. Paul, MN

  FOX 9 News–4 hours ago

  A pedestrian was struck by a Green Line light rail train Monday afternoon in St. Paul. The accident happened just after 1 p.m. on University Avenue near …

• 

  Light rail train and car collide at 20th and Welton in Denver, CO Monday …

  The Denver Channel–8 hours ago

  DENVER – A crash between a car and a light rail train caused some delays for … and Downing station were doing a downtown loop because of the accident.

• Woman taken into police custody after train hits car in N. Knoxville, TN

  WATE-TV–9 hours ago

  KPD says the driver’s side of the car had been hit by the train. …. into police custody early Monday after a train crashed into an unoccupied car in North Knoxville.

Two more stories, on a RECENT train crash and a near-catastrophic mixup in New York City earlier this month:

• CRIME WATCH: 2 in pickup survive train crash in Storm Lake, Iowa

  Sioux City Journal (blog)–8 hours ago
  Dale Martin, 81, drove a pickup in front of an eastbound Chicago Central Pacific Illinois Central train at a crossing in the 700 block of Barton Street, according to …
• 

  DONOHUE: ‘A’ train heads uptown on a downtown track — New York City …

  New York Daily News–19 hours ago

  A subway operator on the A line recently piloted an express train uptown — on … this could have ended with a serious crash, the knowledgeable old-timer said.