UPDATE (5/31): The teen accused of crashing into the streetcar has been cited and fined for failing to stop at a red light in connection to the incident. Dylan Cline, 18, will have to appear in court in front of a judge, who will decide the case. The possible range of punishment is up to a $500 fine and/or up to 180 days in jail.
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Newly released video from cameras on board captured the moment a car broadsided a 77-foot long Kansas City Streetcar Thursday night.
Kansas City police have determined the streetcar driver of car 803 had the green light and wasn’t at fault.
The car’s driver, an 18-year-old boy from Overland Park, was not cited at the scene, but he may be getting a ticket in the mail for running the red light.
“I don’t think they were looking or paying attention to it," Lauren Haught, a KC Streetcar rider, said.
READ: Streetcar and car full of teens collide
The damaged streetcar is back at the yard.
“We actually all the spare parts here, which was great planning from our team,” Donna Mandelbaum, communications manager for the KC Streetcar Authority, said.
Repairs are expected to take two weeks.
Planning also kicked in Wednesday when smoke from a street pole at 20th and Main Street suspended streetcar service for a few hours.
“We still have that power off at that one particular pole, and we’ve bypassed it, and we’re able to resume operations,” Mandelbaum said.
But the streetcar's problems first surfaced on Monday when the streetcar derailed.
Video 41 Action News obtained shows the streetcar as it veers off the rails. The cause is still under investigation, but debris from heavy rainfall may have clogged the track.
“So we did clean that out, and our track switches as exactly as it should,” Mandelbaum said.
People riding for the first time Friday agreed.
“It’s really smooth, smoother than any car ride!” Caedyn Halloran, a rider, said.
As the city prepared for Celebration at the Station, the KC Streetcar Authority had a few safety tips for people who planned to attend.
“Streetcar operators will use horns or use a bell to alert themselves in any area, but just be extra cautious this weekend, as we have more visitors in town,” Mandelbaum said.
Riders we spoke with were shrugging off a week that some would describe as rough for the streetcar.
“It happens. You kind of have to laugh it off,” Haught said. “Things happen; everything’s not perfect.’
Now the streetcar will operate throughout the holiday weekend.
They are extending their Sunday hours to midnight for Celebration at the Station.
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Andres Gutierrez can be reached at andres.gutierrez@kshb.com
