I am an expert in various aspects of collision reconstruction. I have a undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering, a master’s in Biomedical Engineering, and PhD in Aerospace Engineering. Currently, I investigate complex vehicular collisions, collisions and incidents involving bodily injury, and mechanical systems failures. I have done numerous complex collision reconstruction cases involving automobiles, trucks, tractor trailers, bicycles and motorcycles. I have done cases that also involve lines-of-sight and audibility. I have also done collision reconstruction regarding trains; the extent of train collisions have involved lines of sight, and audibility of train signals. To establish the avoidability of the train in this collision, we would need to establish temporally when the first whistle was blown (indicating first perception of a hazard), the time to collision from this first whistle, and the maximum braking rate of the train. Other issues to investigate are the visibility of the approaching train by the crossing vehicle – whether it met the relevant design standards and whether it was hazardous. As far as the protocols are concerned, it would be necessary to obtain the train operator’s manual for procedures to outline the protocol. Additionally, it would be necessary to require records of the load being carried and the typical stopping distances as a function of load for a given locomotive. Finally, the audibility of the train’s whistle may need to be investigated, given topology of the area to establish when it could have been heard within the vehicle.
