Two trams for the soul: when public transport becomes private. Accident with a tram in Orel: Mechanical error or human factor? A man crossed the tram tracks in the wrong place
On Kontraktova Square, you can often see two unusual trams of bright colors. Curtains sway on the yellow-green windows, tables are visible through the glass. Blue with yellow - it looks very unusual, not from our century. In the first one, you can safely take food with the intention of having a bite to eat something tasty, contemplating the views. The second is a teleport to the end of the 19th century.
Tram Cafe
Photo by Evgeny Gura
Until 1992, this tram was an ordinary passenger tram, running along route No. 21 in the area of st. m. "Chernihiv". The car was converted in the early 90s at the Kiev Electric Transport Plant, and it acquired its current form in 2007, with the forces and finances of the Kievans for Public Transport Committee.
One of the members of the Committee Grigory Melnichuk told Our Kyiv how it was:
— We started by removing all the rubbish and rubbish that had accumulated over several years of parking. To make a new floor, they removed the seats, laid the floor. The salon inside was painted, and the walls were pasted over with large illustrations of various trams taken from the website of Stefan Mashkevich. These stickers were printed for us by one of the Kyiv publishing houses free of charge. Everything that was in the running gear of the car was taken care of by the depot. Then we made an external pasting, and in June 2007 the car already participated in the parade dedicated to the 115th anniversary of the Kyiv tram. In it, we celebrated the 2008 and 2009 New Year.
Despite the fact that many days have already passed since the terrible tragedy, interest in it does not subside. Recall that just before the New Year, on December 28, a real tragedy occurred in Orel. The tram car rushed at high speed from the Torgovy Ryady to the 1st Posadskaya stop, knocking down everything in its path. As a result, twelve cars that found themselves on the road of the enraged transport were mangled.
Only another train could stop the tram, into which it flew at full speed. The accident occurred at rush hour, on that day more than twenty people were injured, and the man who was in the collection car crushed by the tram died in the hospital a few days later (for more details, visit kp.ru). . This whole situation gives rise to its own versions and rumors about the causes of what happened. "Komsomolskaya Pravda" tried to sort out this complicated story a little. To do this, we met with investigators, eyewitnesses and the directorate of the MU TTP (trolleybus and tram enterprise) of the city of Orel.
VERSION ONE: BRAKES FAILED
In favor of this version, many citizens speak out, who literally besiege Internet forums. The townspeople do not want to admit the driver's guilt, because, according to them, the TTP park is just a "museum on wheels". Yes, and many factors on that ill-fated day could cause the failure of automation.
Car number 097 has been in the service of the TTP for more than twenty years. It is known that trams run on electricity, and on the day of the accident, December 28, the weather was damp - it could close the electronics. According to eyewitnesses, the car was picking up speed, not slowing down.
AGAINST
This Tatra T6B5 tram model is one of the most reliable, it has several types of braking, including mechanical and automatic. In addition, the TTP has all the necessary documentation on the passing of the scheduled technical inspections and repairs by the car. The waybills of drivers, where they are noted after each trip, do not contain comments on his work. Moreover, the driver Igor Evsikov himself did not make any comments that day. Again, according to eyewitnesses, it is not clear what the driver's actions were - not a sound came from his cab during the movement. Finally, during the towing of the car in the TTP, it turned out that it needed to be released - at the moment of a collision with another tram, the brakes worked.
VERSION TWO: DRIVER LOST CONSCIOUSNESS
In fact, it is strange that an experienced driver could not cope with a tram, which, according to TTP workers, “even a child can stop.” However, Igor Evsikov himself recently stated publicly that he was conscious until the very last moment of the collision. The driver also claims that he did everything possible, but the tram simply did not want to stop.
As most eyewitnesses assure, not a sound came from the driver's cab for the entire time of movement. The conductor of the tram, in her explanatory note, confirms that she was never able to get through to Igor. Experts say that stopping a tram of this model is a piece of cake, and Evsikov, a 1st class driver with 24 years of experience, could not do this only for some very good reason, for example, because he simply passed out at the wheel. Gossip about the health problems of a man also testifies in favor of the version. So, several times before the ill-fated flight, he took sick leave. Nevertheless, the doctors did not make any comments in the cards of the planned medical examination. However, this can be explained by the fact that Igor's wife, as his colleagues told Komsomolskaya Pravda, is a medical worker.
AGAINST
Some of the witnesses of the tragedy, as well as direct participants, claim that the driver really did everything possible to stop the tram. Moreover, he allegedly even warned passengers about the danger over the speakerphone. Igor Evsikov himself speaks against the version with loss of consciousness. According to him, until the last moment he did everything possible to prevent the tragedy.
VERSION THREE: FLASH OF FURY
No one wants to believe this, but what if the driver just... freaked out? Unfortunately, the world is full of examples of how an exemplary husband and loving father can turn into a criminal in one moment. A number of reasons can contribute to this, such a desperate decision can be made either momentarily or planned for a long time. In general, let's just look at the facts that everyone is talking about.
The tram did not slow down, but, on the contrary, picked up speed, as if the driver had simply pressed the gas pedal to the floor. The tragedy occurred at rush hour on the busiest section - it's just a miracle that no people got under the wheels. The conductor claims that the driver locked himself in the cab, which was unusual for him. Again, there were no hints of his reaction. The rage that clouded the mind could be caused by irritation with motorists - everyone in the TTP is aware of the long-standing hatred of drivers for them. This hostility is not unfounded - cars often block the rails, preventing the trams from going. In addition, the neighbors gossip that on the eve of the flight, Igor had a strong quarrel with his wife. It turns out that he got behind the wheel then very nervous. This may also explain the fact that none of the motorists heard the tram signals.
AGAINST
For all the time of his 24-year service, Igor Evsikov had few complaints from the leadership. Some colleagues speak of him with warmth - a benevolent, broad-hearted person. As for cars on rails, all tram drivers dislike them, but this can hardly push them to such terrible actions. Yes, and all the townspeople stand behind the driver with a wall - no one believes in such versions.
Komsomolskaya Pravda, in its investigation, managed to communicate with a person who was at the very epicenter of events. 80-year-old Vasily Stanovoy was just supposed to get off at the Karl Marx Square stop, but the tram flew past her at great speed:
The tram was moving fast, despite the fact that the stop was already close. After the first blow, I got up to see what happened, and saw that the car flew off to the side, rumpled. And then he started cracking them like nuts. At the same time, not a sound came from the driver's cab - as if there was no one there at all. There is no sign that the driver is reacting at all to the situation. After a collision in the cabin, a real panic began, one man tried to land the window glass with his feet, but he did not succeed. Then the passengers began to break the doors. Later, lifeguards helped us get out.
DOSSIER
Surname, name, patronymic: Evsikov Igor Anatolyevich.
Age: 49 years old.
Experience: 24 years.
Qualification: 1st class tram driver.
Medical record: over the past few years, he has been repeatedly observed by a cardiologist and a neuropathologist.
Married: has two adult children.
OFFICIALLY
General Director of MU TTP Orla Alexander Korovin:
In general, there are up to six ways of braking on this tram model. The most elementary of them is to simply take your foot off the safety pedal, then all the brakes will work. You can also press the big red emergency stop button, which is located directly on the panel in front of the driver. Finally, if for some reason this does not work, you can simply de-energize the tram by pulling the cord, which will lower the pantograph. By the way, this cord hangs very close to the driver, one has only to lend a hand.
COMPETENT OPINION
Investigator of the Specialized Investigation Department (accident investigation) of the Investigation Department of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Oryol Region Sergey Petukhov:
So far, the investigation is considering two main versions of what happened: the cause of the accident is a tram malfunction and the human factor. We are studying the testimony of witnesses, the results of the examination, as well as recordings from CCTV cameras on buildings that recorded the moment of the accident.
KNOW!
If you find yourself in a tram that is out of control, in no case do not get up from your seat. If possible, sit or lie down on the floor of the cabin. In case you are near the doors, you can, being careful, try to press the red emergency stop button - it is located above each exit, protected by glass, which is easy to break or move away.
WHILE THE NUMBER WAS MADE
"Komsomolskaya Pravda" it became known that literally the other day the inspection of the tram by a group of independent experts was completed. So far, the results of the commission are being summarized, but one conclusion can already be drawn for sure - all the brakes in the mangled car are working properly.
19:17 / 24 Nov 2014The tram driver saw a moving pedestrian and even managed to give a sound signal. But she didn't stop in time.
A man was killed by a tram. The tragedy occurred on Saturday, November 22, in the area of the house on Titov Street, 20. As we wrote earlier, a pedestrian - a man - was shot down to death. Nothing is known about the identity of a resident of Yekaterinburg who fell under the wheels of a tram - the press services of the city have not yet opened this data.
A man crossed the tram tracks in the wrong place
It is known that the pedestrian crossed the tram tracks in the wrong place. It is also known that a woman, a tram driver, saw a moving pedestrian and even managed to give a sound signal. But she didn't stop in time. “The distance made it possible to stop in time,” the traffic police in the region explain. It was still light outside - 15.30.
The driver of the tram that hit a man in Yekaterinburg - who is he?
Here is what Aleksey Pogorelov, Chief Auditor for Traffic Safety of the "Tram and Trolleybus Department" of the city of Yekaterinburg, who was at the scene immediately after the tragedy, says:
- At the moment, the tram driver has been temporarily suspended from his duties until the results of the investigation. What can I say, now the woman has a nervous shock from what happened! She is a good driver. I can also say that people most often cross tram tracks, completely ignoring the situation on the road. That section is dangerous, because the townspeople, as a rule, cross the road in the wrong place, although there is a pedestrian crossing 70 meters away. There are no fences in that area. There were headphones next to the deceased, as far as I remember. He probably didn't hear the tram approaching. Condolences to the man's family. In fact, the tram was loaded, it was not so easy to slow down.
The tram driver is 28 years old. Worked in this profession for more than two years. This had never happened to her before.
A tram hit a man: the curse of Titov Street
As they say in the State traffic inspectorate, this is not the first accident involving a tram on Vtorchermet. Moreover, Titov Street has become a kind of unpleasant pattern. The street is problematic. Pedestrian migration is very intense here.
This section of the road in the UGIBDD in the region is called one of the most dangerous in the city. Only in August of this year, 2 people were badly injured in this area.
- August 19, 2014 A tram on Titov Street hit an elderly man. The pedestrian crossed the tram tracks in front of the closely moving public transport. As a result of the accident, the man received fractures, bruises, a concussion, and a closed craniocerebral injury.
- August 31, 2014 In an accident on the tram tracks on Titova Street, the tram driver did not notice two homeless people sleeping on the tracks and ran into them. One of them managed to jump away, and the second was less fortunate. A tram ran over his leg, which later had to be amputated.
How will a tram driver be punished for crushing a pedestrian to death on Titov Street?
“According to the fact of the last accident, an inquiry is being carried out, during which the exact cause of the accident will be established and an objective assessment of the actions of a female tram driver will be given,” says Konstantin Kurbatov, inspector of the propaganda department of the UGIBDD in the Sverdlovsk region. - It is too early to talk about the results. There is an investigation.
Now the driver faces punishment under article 264 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Violation of the rules of the road and the operation of vehicles”, which is up to 5 years in prison. But, as they say in the UGIBDD, it is too early to judge who is right and who is wrong.