NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)
New details have been released about the novelty train accident that injured several residents of a Hermitage senior living facility on May 14 that injured several elderly riders, including a 97-year-old woman.
The 21-year-old train operator was giving rides with a Husqvarna lawn mower that had been modified with a fiberglass shell to look like a train.
Attached to the train were three trailers, also made of fiberglass, that were attached to each other by a 1 7/8-inch ball.
While driving downhill, the driver attempted to brake to slow the ride, but but it instead gained speed until the last two cars became unstable and overturned, ejecting the passengers.
“The driver of the train is very upset and very concerned about the passengers. He said they test drove the train earlier and everything appeared to be working properly,” Metro police officer Greg Curtis said on the day of the accident.
“The driver said that he applied the brakes. Either the brakes were not working, or [they] were ineffective, and he lost control of the train.”
Eight passengers were on the fair-like train when the accident occurred. Seven were transported to area hospitals for injuries and the eighth refused treatment. The victims ranged in age between 74 and 97.
The accident remains under investigation and investigators are working to determine how much weight the ride could carry at a time.
“The number of people over there [on the train,] we’re looking at easily over 1,000 pounds of people combined,” Curtis said. “So [it] very well could be the brakes are not designed to try and stop that much weight.”
That lawn tractor is too small and not designed to tow a load like that. The three trailers with the human load on them was probably pushing the small lawn tractor, the brakes could not work under such loading conditions and jack-knifed on them and flipped to its side injuring the elderly people. They needed a larger tractor or a large ATV for this with suitable brakes to handle the downhill portion.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)
Several residents of a Hermitage senior living facility were injured Thursday morning after an accident involving a novelty train occurred.
It happened at McKendree Village located at 4343 Lebanon Pike during an event at the facility.
The 21-year-old train operator told police he was taking residents around the grounds on the small train when he lost control coming down a small hill, causing the last train car to overturn before throwing riders to the ground.
“The driver of the train is very upset and very concerned about the passengers. He said they test drove the train earlier and everything appeared to be working properly,” Metro police officer Greg Curtis said. “The driver said that he applied the brakes. Either the brakes were not working, or [they] were ineffective, and he lost control of the train.”
Officials said as many as 12 people were on the fair-like train when the accident occurred. Seven were transported to area hospitals for injuries. An eighth person refused treatment.
“Our first priority is going to be just the safety of our residents and we’re just making sure everybody is okay,” Executive Director of McKendree Village Barbara Morrison told News 2.
“We appreciate that people are not speculating about what may have happened and that they are being supportive of all involved,” continued Morrison.
The accident remains under investigation and investigators are working to determine how much weight the ride could carry at a time.
“The number of people over there [on the train,] we’re looking at easily over 1,000 pounds of people combined,” Curtis said. “So [it] very well could be the brakes are not designed to try and stop that much weight.”
Police added the driver of the train did not show any signs of impairment.