Passenger: I keep thanking my lucky stars that I’m OK
For years, Tony Raimondi’s voicemail greeting has ended with the same oddly specific well-wish: “Have a safe day on the railroad.”
The retired 17-year Amtrak ticket agent and train enthusiast needed all the good fortune he could get as he and other passengers pushed out windows and climbed out of the business-class car to safety after the deadly accident in Washington state.
Here’s his story, as told to Herald reporter Chris Cassidy:
“It just started to lean sideways and then all of a sudden, everything went dark and stuff started flying around and that was it.
We shook ourselves off and thankfully we were OK and able to get off. A guy pushed a window out to get out and I helped him down and he helped me down and we helped another person down.
Then we crawled underneath a jack-knifed car and got out.
Further back, I could hear people crying and screaming that they were hurt.
At that point, emergency trucks started coming around so we left.
I keep thanking my lucky stars that I’m OK.
My heart goes out to those who lost their lives — that’s the most important thing — and to their families.
I wanted to be on the first run of the train. I used to work for Amtrak in St. Paul, Minnesota, and I always liked the railroad.
I was going to come back the same day.
I’ve never been in a derailment before, and I hope I’m never in one again.
Trains are a very, very safe way to travel. It’s just a very unfortunate thing. Things happen on planes, highways and railroads. It’s just that kind of a thing.
If I had the opportunity, I wouldn’t have a problem getting back on a train today.”