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Mother of 3 was driver who caused deadly Metro-North crash
By Rebecca Harshbarger, Frank Rosario and Bob FredericksFebruary 4, 2015 | 3:05pm

A suburban mom’s inexplicable decision to drive her SUV onto the railroad tracks directly in the path of a packed commuter train triggered the deadliest collision in Metro-North’s history, sources said Wednesday.

Five commuters died when the 5:44 p.m. out of Grand Central ­T-boned the Mercedes-Benz ML350 driven onto the tracks by Ellen Schaeffer Brody, 49, a married mother of three daughters from Edgemont in Westchester.

Brody was on her way to visit a pal in Scarsdale after getting off work at a shop in Chappaqua, ICD Contemporary Jewelry, which boasts that it’s a favorite of Bill and Hillary Clinton.

She, too, died in the fiery crash at the crossing in Valhalla Tuesday evening. The train pushed the SUV down the tracks and caused its gas tank to explode.
“For reasons that are not precisely known at this time — but reasons that we intend to find out — the Mercedes SUV was stopped on the tracks,” National Transportation Safety Board investigator Robert Sumwalt said on Wednesday night.

“The big question everybody wants to know is: Why was this vehicle in the crossover?”

Brody, sources said, was heading south from Chappaqua when a crash forced motorists off the Taconic Parkway at Stephens ­Avenue. She continued south on side roads down to Commerce Street, where she was heading back to the Taconic — which required crossing the tracks. The crossing gate came down on the back of her SUV, according to Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino.

Rick Hope, the driver who was right behind her, said she got out to check the damage, but then hopped back in her SUV and drove farther onto the tracks — despite his warnings to back up.

Sumwalt said the northbound train bulldozed the car and pushed it about 1,000 feet up the tracks. The electrified third rail penetrated the SUV behind the driver’s seat, came out over the right rear tire and upward at an angle into the first train car.

As the train plowed along, a 400-foot section of the third rail broke apart in roughly 80-foot sections through the entire first rail car and just into the second rail car, Sumwalt said.

The SUV’s exploding gas tank ignited both the Mercedes and the first rail car, which was completely incinerated.

Valhalla Fire Chief Roger King said the train operator, identified as Steven Smalls, saw the SUV but could not stop in time.

“He was able to get the emergency windows [opened] to get people off the train as quickly as possible. I believe he got three or four people out himself before he was starting to be overcome by the smoke and he had to get out,” King said.

Smalls’ father said his son was recovering.

“He’s OK,” Steven Smalls Sr. said outside his Medford, LI, home. “We’re very proud of him.”

A law enforcement source told The Post it did not appear the train crew was to blame.

A Brody co-worker said the mom’s daughters were anxiously waiting for her to return home Tuesday when their father broke the tragic news.

“He came home and told them, ‘She gone,’ ” said Virginia Shasha, a sales associate .“It’s been a very difficult time for them.”

A dozen injured passengers were brought to Westchester Medical Center. One was in critical condition and one in serious condition, while the other 10 were either in fair condition or were discharged.

Additional reporting by Larry Celona, Reuven Fenton, Erin Calabrese and Jennifer Bain

A suburban mom’s inexplicable decision to drive her SUV onto the railroad tracks
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Brody, sources said, was heading south from Chappaqua when a crash forced motorists off the Taconic Parkway at Stephens ­Avenue. She continued south on side roads down to Commerce Street, where she was heading back to the Taconic — which required crossing the tracks. The crossing gate came down on the back of her SUV, according to Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino.

Rick Hope, the driver who was right behind her, said she got out to check the damage, but then hopped back in her SUV and drove farther onto the tracks — despite his warnings to back up.

Captain Seafort wrote: Pillock.

Mikey wrote:

Captain Seafort wrote: Pillock.

I refuse to believe that this is actually a word.

RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:

Mikey wrote:

Captain Seafort wrote: Pillock.

I refuse to believe that this is actually a word.

Well...

Mikey wrote:

Captain Seafort wrote: Pillock.

I refuse to believe that this is actually a word.

Mikey wrote:

Captain Seafort wrote: Pillock.

I refuse to believe that this is actually a word.

IanKennedy wrote:It a word, and so is Bollocks.

Mikey wrote:

IanKennedy wrote:It a word, and so is Bollocks.

I've heard the term "bollocks," and apparently you limeys have found some connection between testicles and untruths because that term seems to mean both things. However, you can provide all the evidence you want for the existence of the term "pillock" and I can still decide not to recognize it.

Graham Kennedy wrote:you say it is "the dog's bollocks!"

Graham Kennedy wrote:Pillock is a real word too...