INVESTIGATION - Motorized Wheelchair Collision

motorized wheelchairIn the early evening of May 26, 2018 a person in a motorized wheelchair tried to cross the railroad tracks at Broadway Street in Chilliwack. During the crossing the rear caster wheels of the wheelchair dropped down into the flangeway (slot alongside the inside of the rail that allows the wheel flanges to pass the pavement), trapping the chair.

An approaching freight train was unable to stop in time and collided with the wheelchair, it's rider and one of two citizens that tried to get the wheelchair off of the tracks.

The Transportation Safety Board investigated and produced a report on their findings.

It appears that disability transport users need to exercise caution when crossing the tracks and should consider that having to stop and reverse direction could result in becoming trapped.