Senator Almost Hit By Train During Safety Event

In the “no, this isn’t the Onion” department, a U.S. Senator was almost hit by a train earlier this week during a press conference on train safety. Senator Richard Blumenthal came within inches of obliteration on Friday at the Milford Metro-North train station in Connecticut, where he was discussing commuter safety with Millford Mayor Ben Blake. In case the irony wasn’t already rich enough, the near-disaster came just as Blake was speaking the words “safety is paramount.”

Blumenthal, who’s been advocating for enhanced safety measures at the station, broke the cardinal rule of train platforms and stood inside, rather than behind, the yellow safety line next to the tracks. As Blake was speaking, Blumenthal reached over to adjust an easel that stood between him and the tracks. At that very moment, a train came blazing by and came very close to ending Blumenthal’s crusade for train safety once and for all.

Sure, it’s somewhat embarrassing, but this incident may be a good thing for Blumenthal, as it has the side benefit of drawing more attention to the campaign he’s waging. Over the last ten years, the Metro-North MTA has incurred $552,000 worth of safety violations, and Blumenthal has been demanding enhanced protections for commuters. He’s now demonstrated why that’s necessary, although not in the way he'd originally intended.