Woman Trapped In Metro Wreckage Died During Rescue

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WUSA) -- DC Fire & EMS Department Lt. Tony Carroll says one of the two women his crew intitially tried to untangle from Monday's wreckage on the Red Line died during the rescue operation. While she didn't speak, the firefighters report they heard moaning. The women are two of the nine people who died in the worst accident in the 33-year-history of Metro.

Lt. Carroll, of Rescue Squad 2, looked at early video from the crash scene taken by DC Fire & EMS Department photographer Vito Maggiolo. The department released the video Wednesday afternoon. According to Carroll, most, if not all of those who died were in the lead car of the striking train. That train was made up of the older, 1000 Series Metro cars.

Firefighter Scott Hudson said the crew had to focus on trying to get the two women out as quickly as possible. Both Hudson and Carroll describe how shocked they were to see the 75-foot long car compressed to about 15 or 20 feet, with the outer shell of the car separating and rising over top of the other train.

The firefighters said to get to the trapped women they passed one man who was alert and conscious but entangled from the waist down in the mangled seats. Other firefighters tended to that man.