Miss Deaf Texas Killed by Train, Unable to Hear Train Horn Warning Blast

A sad day for the Deaf community. Many bloggers (deaf and hearing) are reacting to this tragedy.

Tara Rose McAvoy was walking along the railroad tracks when she was struck by a Union Pacific train. According to a witness the train sounded its horn right up until the accident occurred. This is a case of failing to hear the train horn's warning blast that got the young woman killed. Being completely deaf, the horn had no affect in getting her attention to move away from the train tracks with the train approaching. Deafness can get you killed if you're not careful.

There were other similar accidents (see here, here, here, here, here, here, and here) involving other deaf people getting killed by a train who were unable to hear the approaching train and the blaring horn. The horn blast is 140 decibels when 130 is the threshold of pain.

People, both hearing and deaf, were killed by trains while on the tracks but with the train's powerful horn blast, at least a hearing person who have the idiocy and the stupidity to be on the tracks has a chance to move out of the way.

If you're deaf and want to walk the train tracks, please don't. Avoid railroad tracks at all times. That's for everybody. A train cannot stop on a dime for you.

RIP Tara.

UPDATE: That's just great. Deaf, unable to hear the train horn's 140 decibels blast, and she was text-messaging while walking alongside the train tracks.

UPDATE II: Folks. Just simply stay away from any train tracks while walking and text messaging at the same time. When I say stay away, try 100 feet, 200 or 500 feet. Not 20 feet. Welcome readers from About.com.

I have a suggestion for train tracks. Why not install woofers which are speakers designed to reproduce very low frequencies or very low bass sounds that vibrates the air around it. You basically feel the sound more than you can hear it. With a large enough woofer and enough wattage, the high intensity, low frequency bass sound (or simply the vibration itself) could vibrate enough ahead of the train, say (just guesssing here) 200 feet or so, where the vibration is directional in front of the train in an area where people are normally struck and give those final advanced warnings to move out of the way. It's easier to feel the sound all over your body than to hear it. You would instinctively want know where it's coming from and move away from it. Something like a non-lethal acoustic weapon?