Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog
A Maryland woman is in serious condition from injuries sustained Friday when her car was struck by a MARC commuter train in Rockville. Although doctors say the woman, who is seven months pregnant, will recover from her injuries, the circumstances leading up to the accident are a major concern, especially because car-train collisions can easily result in fatalities. Local residents claim that the particular railroad crossing has been a problem for some time.
In fact, the crossing is so dangerous — and has been the scene of numerous other incidents — that Montgomery County officials began years ago to plan and build an overpass above the tracks. According to recent reports, Councilwoman Nancy Floreen, who heads the county’s transportation committee, said Montrose Parkway is under construction now, which will ultimately take vehicle traffic over the train tracks. The county has funded the road design changes, but it will still take several years to reach completion.
As a Maryland Automobile Accident Lawyer, I have first-hand experience with the victims of these kinds of auto accidents. For the occupants of a passenger vehicle, the violence of auto-train accidents can result in terrible bodily harm, such as amputations and traumatic brain injuries, and sometimes death. Fortunately for this woman, neither she nor her unborn child was adversely affected, but others have not been so lucky.
It all happened around 5 p.m. at Randolph Road and Nebel Street east of Rockville Pike.
Officials say 25-year-old Cemile Ava Valencia was stuck in heavy traffic in her Honda Accord. She got caught on top of the train tracks when the crossing gates went down. As the MARC Train approached, Valencia was able to inch her car up as far as she could but not enough to avoid the train slamming into her car, which spun the vehicle several times, according to reports.
If you or a family member has been injured in an automobile accident, we recommend that you retain a qualified legal professional. The attorneys at Lebowitz-Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers have the knowledge and experience to represent your interests.
MARC Train, Car Collide in Rockville, MyFoxDC.com, May 9, 2009