6 Dead, Dozens Injured in D.C. Metro Crash

Two Washington D.C. Metro trains collided, killing six people and injuring dozens. The cause of the crash is unknown.
6 Dead, Dozens Injured in D.C. Metro Crash
Rescue crews work through the night on the wreckage of two Red Line Metrorail trains. (Robert Giroux/Getty Images)
6/23/2009
Updated:
6/23/2009
<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/dccrash_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/dccrash_medium.jpg" alt="DEADLY CRASH: Two Red Line Metrorail trains that collided between the Fort Totten and Takoma Park stations during the evening rush hour June 22, 2009 in Washington, D.C., killing at least four and injuring over 100. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)" title="DEADLY CRASH: Two Red Line Metrorail trains that collided between the Fort Totten and Takoma Park stations during the evening rush hour June 22, 2009 in Washington, D.C., killing at least four and injuring over 100. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-87862"/></a>
DEADLY CRASH: Two Red Line Metrorail trains that collided between the Fort Totten and Takoma Park stations during the evening rush hour June 22, 2009 in Washington, D.C., killing at least four and injuring over 100. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/1qtrain88628193_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/1qtrain88628193_medium.jpg" alt="Rescue workers respond to the site of two Metro trains that collided with one another between the Fort Totten and Takoma Park stations June 22, 2009 in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)" title="Rescue workers respond to the site of two Metro trains that collided with one another between the Fort Totten and Takoma Park stations June 22, 2009 in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-87863"/></a>
Rescue workers respond to the site of two Metro trains that collided with one another between the Fort Totten and Takoma Park stations June 22, 2009 in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/12trane88630320_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/12trane88630320_medium.jpg" alt="Rescue crews work through the night on the wreckage of two Red Line Metrorail trains. (Robert Giroux/Getty Images)" title="Rescue crews work through the night on the wreckage of two Red Line Metrorail trains. (Robert Giroux/Getty Images)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-87864"/></a>
Rescue crews work through the night on the wreckage of two Red Line Metrorail trains. (Robert Giroux/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON—In the worst accident in D.C. Metro history, two Washington, D.C. Metro trains collided during rush hour June 22. At least six people were killed, including a female train operator. More than 100 were reporterd injured. The cause of the collision is unknown.

Alan Etter, D.C. fire spokesman, called it a “mass casualty event,” and emergency workers were using rescue tools to cut through the wreckage to free numerous passengers who were trapped in the trains, reported NBC.

According to the Metro Transit Authority, many of the injuries were serious.

The collision happened between two trains running above ground between Takoma Park and Fort Totten stations. Both were on the same track, on the Red Line toward Shady Grove station.

According to reports, one of the trains stopped when the other crashed into it. The female operator who died was in the trailing train. After the crash, two of the cars from one train appeared to be on top of the other train.

Rescue workers from Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. were heading to the site of the wreckage. Howard University Hospital and Washington Hospital Centers have increased emergency room staffing to receive patients from the collision, according to NBC.

Metro officials say that they do not know the cause of the collision.

“We are extremely saddened that there are fatalities as a result of this accident, which has touched our Metro family. We hope to have more details about the casualties later today. Our safety officials are investigating, and will continue to investigate until we determine why this happened and what must be done to ensure it never happens again,” Metro General Manager John Catoe said, according to the Metro Transit Authority website.

In the Metrorail’s 33-year history, the only other fatal train accident occurred in January 1982, when three people died in a derailment between the Federal Triangle and Smithsonian Metrorail stations.

The last DC Metro collision occurred on Nov. 3, 2004 when an empty train backed into another train carrying passengers at the Woodley Park/Zoo-Adams Morgan Metrorail station, causing some injuries and no fatalities.