TriMet turns to Safety Council for answers
PORTLAND, Ore. – The general manager for the Portland mass-transit agency TriMet is going to the federal agency that monitors crash trends to try to find a solution to the 32 fatalities its drivers have been involved in since 1988.
The most recent deadly accident was this past weekend, where an off-duty driver turned left on a green light into a pack of pedestrians crossing on a walk signal. The crash killed two pedestrians and injured three more, one critically. See: "How did it happen?"
TriMet Communications Director Mary Fetsch released a statement Wednesday saying that TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen is asking for a National Safety Council expert to evaluate all the agency's safety practices.
Fetsch said Hansen also is "reemphasizing with employees that safety is our top priority." We told that, beginning 4 a.m. Wednesday, all operators were "personally engaged" to reemphasize safety.
Hansen issued an all-employee notice late Tuesday calling the weekend's accident "a tragedy beyond comprehension."
KATU has obtained a copy of the notice Hansen sent out to employees. "While we cannot change the outcome of Saturday’s collision," it read, "this tragic accident can serve as a reminder that we must remain ever vigilant to our high safety standards."
"Every day TriMet operators make decisions that result in safe and comfortable rides for our customers and the public around that service," it continues. "Thousands of turns are made safely, with great care and skill."
The notice said counseling resources are being provided for TriMet workers who need it.
Hansen publicly reported that the Portland Police investigation into the accident is "with the full cooperation of TriMet."
"The investigation will take some time, given the complexity of the accident and the number of witnesses who were present," Nelson wrote. "Many of you are receiving questions from people about the accident, and it is important to let them know that the details of the investigation are not yet complete."
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