On This Day

Friday 24th March 1972

48 years ago

The Gilchrest Road crossing level accident occurred in the town of Clarkstown, New York, between Valley Cottage and Congers, roughly 25 miles north of New York City. Five students from Valley Cottage were killed, and 44 other students were injured. Joseph Larkin (35), a part-time bus driver wasn't popular with the children on the bus. They claimed he drove too fast and always tried to beat other cars to an intersection. Meanwhile, Penn Central freight train number 2653, travelling at 25 miles per hour with 73 loaded freight cars, was heading towards the Gilchrest Road crossing. It had sounded all required warnings. Approaching the crossing, the bus was not slowing down to allow the train to pass. The train sounded the horn again, to no avail. It then applied brakes, but the train's momentum carried it through the crossing, where it collided with the bus. The train tore the school bus in two parts. The front half ended up 1000 feet down the tracks. Three students were killed instantly. Larkin was brought to trial and charged with criminally negligent homicide in the death of the five students. He claimed he had come to a complete stop and looked both ways before the collision, sixteen witnesses claimed he did not. He was given probation. The judge told him "You will be punished for the rest of your life and you deserve to Be”.