A monorail crashed into another stationary monorail around 2 A.M. Sunday morning at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The crash killed one of the train operators. More from the Associated Press:
Two monorail trains crashed early Sunday morning in the Magic Kingdom section of Walt Disney World, killing one train’s operator, emergency officials said.
The monorail operator died at the scene of the crash, which happened around 2 a.m., said Bo Jones, deputy chief for Reedy Creek Fire Department. The other train operator was not injured, but was taken to a hospital because he was emotionally shaken. Five park guests were treated at the scene.
It is unclear what caused the crash, Jones said. Orange County Sheriff’s officials are investigating the cause. Read the full story.
The guests who were interviewed at the park were shocked. Here’s a video at the scene of the accident.
UPDATE: Possible Causes of the Monorail Crash – Poor Communications, Fatigue
Orlando Attractions Magazine has more details on what might have caused the accident. At the end of the day, monorails return to a maintenance shop. In order to switch tracks and head over to the shop the monorails need to disable their anti-collision systems. At this point, the operators and workers at Monorail Central have to communicate by radio the location of the monorails. It’s possible that there was some kind of miscommunication while the monorails were in this state.
OAM also speculates that fatigue may have been a factor for the deceased operator. They point to his Facebook page where he commented that he had to work both 12 and 14 hour days in the past. Read more at Orlando Attractions Magazine.
What’s Your Take?
What do you think of the monorail crash at Walt Disney World? Leave a comment below. Image courtesy of Fox News Channel.