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A NJ Transit commuter train crosses a railroad crossing at Heborn Road in Montclair. NJ Transit officials reminded drivers to obey gates at crossing and not to stop on tracks in the wake of Tuesday's fatal Metro North train crash.

(Robert Sciarrino | NJ Advance Media)

While NJ Transit saw 42 railroad crossing accidents in five years involving vehicles or pedestrians that went around closed gates, a collision similar to Tuesday night's fiery crash between an SUV and Metro North train wouldn't be likely to happen in New Jersey, officials said.



NJ Transit officials said Wednesday that the specific series of events surrounding the deadly Metro North accident are not likely to happen here because the trains are powered by overhead lines.

The Tuesday night crash between a crowded Metro-North Railroad commuter train and a Mercedes SUV at a railroad crossing in Valhalla, killed six and sent hundreds of passengers scrambling to safety.

Authorities told the Associated Press that the SUV's driver had gotten out of her vehicle momentarily after the crossing's safety gates came down around her. She then got back in and was trying to drive forward when she was hit, they said.



Authorities said the impact was so forceful the electrified third rail, just off the ground, came up and pierced the train. A fire then ignited and engulfed the lead rail car.

Unlike Metro North, however, NJ Transits' electric trains draw their power from overhead wires. The only place on NJ Transits' system where electrified third rails are present is in Amtrak's Hudson River tunnels, said William Smith, NJ Transit spokesman.



The Metro North accident claimed the life of five passengers on the train and the driver of the SUV, and 15 passengers were treated for injuries at local hospitals, according to a Metro North statement.



NJ Transit has 330 railroad crossings, including four in New York state that are maintained by Metro North, Smith said. Railroad crossing equipment is inspected every 30 days, which is required by federal regulations, he said.



But the biggest factor in railroad crossing accidents is driver behavior and the instinct to try and beat the train, said Smith.



"The most common accidents at railroad crossings occur when a motor vehicle driver disobeys the warning devices, goes around downed crossing gates, falsely believing they can get through the crossing before the train arrives," Smith said. "Gates and signs are there for safety reasons and need to be followed."



While NJ Transit's crossing gates will stay closed, even if they come down on a vehicle, they won't trap a vehicle on the tracks. Smith said the gates are made out of fiberglass or aluminum and have a pin that is designed to shear, so the gate breaks away.



In the wake of the Metro North tragedy, Smith reminded drivers to obey crossing lights and gates, never stop on train tracks and to leave enough space from other vehicles to make sure they can safely exit a crossing.



In 2011 there were two fatal railroad crossing crashes between a train and a vehicle. In both the Nov. 13 collision at the 8th Avenue crossing in Belmar and the April 9 crash at the Monmouth Avenue crossing in Spring Lake, the vehicle went around closed crossing gates, according to NJ Transit records.



Also that year, there were three other non-fatal crashes between a train and a vehicle that disregarded crossing gates resulted. NJ Transit reported a total of 11 railroad crossing accidents that year with the rest involving pedestrians or trespassers who were walking on a section of the railroad that is closed to the public.



The number of crossing accidents dropped to seven in 2012, with five them involving vehicles on the tracks, including an NJ Transit bus that was struck while crossing the Pascack Valley line in Oradell. No passengers were aboard the bus.



In 2013, the number of crossing accidents increased to 13 with eight involving vehicles that were stopped on the tracks, which injured a total of 12 people . Out of nine crossing crashes reported in 2014, six involved a vehicle across the tracks, which injured a total of two people. One involved a vehicle which slid on ice and landed across the tracks, records showed.



The first accident involved a vehicle that was stopped on a crossing this year happened where the Port Jervis line crosses East Village road in Tuxedo, N.Y., which is service operated by NJ Transit for Metro North.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.