News Release
Release date: August 7, 2000
King County to cover any medical
expenses of passengers in streetcar accident
King County Executive Ron Sims
today assured passengers injured in Sunday's Waterfront Streetcar accident that
the county would cover their medical and related expenses stemming from the accident.
None of the injuries was life-threatening.
"I've asked our staff
to contact the passengers and make sure their needs are being met," said
Sims.
To complete their investigation,
Metro Transit officials are planning to lift the streetcar onto a flatbed trailer
and move it to the streetcar repair barn where it can be inspected from underneath.
Outside experts are also being brought in to review the accident.
Maintenance staff today also
conducted a thorough inspection of the other three streetcars in operation.
Metro Transit has operated
waterfront streetcars for 18 years. More than 6-million passengers have boarded
the streetcars since they first started rolling in 1982. Last year more than 482,000
passengers boarded waterfront streetcars that traveled a total of 50,000 miles
over 12,000 hours of service. The streetcars were built in Australia between 1925
and 1930 and five cars were purchased by Metro between 1980 and 1988.
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