'A Miracle That I'm Standing Here': Man Calls For More LA Metro Safety Measures After Train Collision
VERNON (CBSLA) -- John Moss was driving along Long Beach Avenue at 55th Street in Los Angeles on March 2, on his way to pick up his work partner early in the morning. He says he made a left hand turn, across a set of L.A. Metro train tracks — and had no idea a train was speeding his way.
"No indications that the lights were blinking and I didn't hear any bells, it was too late," he said. "I looked to the left and a train just hit me. Next thing I knew, I basically woke up in the hospital."
Security footage shows the incident. The train hits Moss' BMW at full speed as he tries to make his turn.
"It's a miracle that I'm standing here and I have nightmares about this," he said. "I'm very lucky to be alive."
The 60-year-old suffered broken bones and major internal injuries. He said he continues to deal with pain, but he is thankful to be alive to tell his story.
"Fortunate for me, I got hit on the left side of my car and the train pushed me back out and that's how the car did not end up on the tracks," he said. "If I didn't survive that accident, no one would know about this."
He said he believes his accident could have been prevented, and he wants to see changes before other drivers are hurt or killed.
"I was allowed to enter the intersection and there was no gate to stop me from entering the intersection," he said.
A spokesperson for the L.A. Metro said they performed a post-accident inspection their equipment and found that all warning lights, crossing gates, and warning bells were functioning at the time of the accident. They also said the driver made an illegal left turn and used the wrong traffic lane to circumvent the lowered crossing gate.
"Regardless of what they're saying about I entered on the wrong lane, no one should be allowed to enter period," Moss said about the statement.
"They should've came up with the conclusion that this is a very dangerous intersection," he said. "What happened to me, it's easy to happen to someone else. Those changes are a necessity."
