Scattered storms, lightning hit Southern California and prompt beach closures
Two out-of-state high-speed trains collide, and the first victim of the collision had been on the tracks for over five minutes when the crash occurred. That’s a lot of time to walk into traffic! Read more
A large part of the town of Palm Springs is cordoned off, leaving behind only a smattering of buildings. The main entrance to the Coachella Valley Fairgrounds, the host of the most popular event in the area, has been closed since around 3 a.m. Monday morning.
Multiple sources confirm that the incident caused major damage to the building and will likely result in the loss of millions of dollars in revenue for the town.
A source from Riverside County, who has been watching the events unfold on the video live feed, says the man was walking up the stairs from the parking area and hit the top of the building when he was hit by the train.
The video shows the impact, and the man clearly seems to be in shock.
The source also says that the train’s speed is about 350 mph and that the man was hit in the back of the head and neck, and was struck out of his balance by the impact on several axes, and was knocked completely off his feet by the impact.
There are two train cars and an engine involved in the crash, and the man was ejected from the train’s carriage. He was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he is in serious condition, and has since been released.
The incident is still under investigation, but there are many theories about the cause. The most popular theory is that a train conductor and engineer were intoxicated, and that the problem was related to their lack of fitness.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office has opened a criminal investigation that will likely result in the resignation of the conductor and engineer.
A source from the Coachella Valley Fair says the building had already been under construction when the incident occurred, and so the fact that the door and windows were already in place and the windows were already broken could explain why this is happening.
The source also noted that as with most mass-casual
