Driver cited in Bedford (NY) train-car crash caused by GPS mishap

Driver cited in Bedford (NY) train-car crash caused by GPS mishap

By NICOLE NEROULIAS
THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original Publication: January 3, 2008)

BEDFORD HILLS - A 32-year-old Californian whose rental car got
smashed by a Metro-North train last night was issued a minor summons
for causing the fiery crash that stranded railroad commuters for
hours.

Bo Bai, a computer technician from Sunnyvale who said he was merely
trusting his car's global positioning system when he steered onto the
tracks, was cited for obstructing a railroad crossing, officials said
this afternoon.

The railroad's Harlem Division trains were back on schedule this
morning after crews spent hours repairing more than 200 feet of the
electrified "third" rail damaged by the crash, said Dan Brucker,
Metro-North spokesman.

Bai, who has been working in Fishkill, was driving west on Green Lane
around 7 p.m., and told Metropolitan Transportation Authority police
the GPS system instructed him to turn right as he was crossing the
tracks. He was headed for the Saw Mill River Parkway, just past the
tracks.

He got stuck, tried unsuccessfully to reverse and finally abandoned
the 2006 Ford Focus minutes before it was slammed by a northbound
Metro-North Harlem Line train, MTA police said.

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