Seven Hospitalized After Van and Muni Rail Train Collide
Seven people were injured March 31 when a T-Line San Francisco Muni rail train struck a Ford Econoline van with Florida license plates and tourists onboard. The Bayview crash occurred at about 7:45 p.m. Wednesday night at Third Street near Underwood Avenue. It was the second injury collision involving a Muni vehicle on Wednesday. A few hours earlier, two pedestrians were sideswiped by a light rail car at Ocean Avenue and Capital.
According to reports by NBC News, the van's driver was following verbal directions from a GPS unit inside the vehicle. The gadget told him to turn left and he did, without seeing the light rail train heading in its direction, and a clearly marked sign indicating there is no left turn allowed. Four people in the van and three people on the train were injured. At least two of the people suffered serious injuries. Police also reported an open container of alcohol was found inside the van. Whether or not the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash is not known. The incident remains under investigation by San Francisco police.
If the news reports of this accident are accurate, the driver of the van is probably at fault. Regardless of what a navigation device tells a driver to do, the driver still has the responsibility to follow the rules of the road and drive safely. While this incident remains under investigation, both the passengers in the van and those injured on the Muni rail train would be well-advised to contact a San Francisco personal injury attorney as soon as possible. An attorney can help them protect their rights and recover full and fair compensation for their injuries, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and other expenses related to the Muni accident.
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