Traffic Still Disrupted In Ellicott City A Day After Train Derailment
ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (WJZ)-- The train derailment is causing big problems for people living and working in Ellicott City.
Monique Griego has more.
Everywhere you go, people are talking about what happened. People from throughout the area are coming to see the damage.
The crash echoed through town for only moments but sounds of the cleanup and chatter about the horrible tragedy are left lingering through the streets of Ellicott City.
"Everybody's kind of upset. Everybody's been talking about the tragedy of the two girls," Ellicott City resident Mickey McDaniel said.
"They were just beginning life-- 19 years old. It's sad, very sad," Tina McDaniel said.
Quaint little shops are usually what bring people here.
But news of the train derailment that killed two local college students kept the sidewalks busy with a different kind of visitor.
"There's a lot more people down here now. They're coming from everywhere just to look at it," Mickey McDaniel said.
"You see all the coal on the street," said another resident.
Sarah Atkinson came to the crash site from Catonsville.
"Nothing like this has ever happened here before. It's shocking," she said.
But the impact of the crash is more than just emotional. Transportation has been interrupted and traffic on Main Street is still shut down.
While Main Street remains closed, some businesses have reopened, hoping to give the town some sense of normalcy.
"You wouldn't expect something like this to happen near your home," Janice Cross said.
Many residents and others who frequent the area still can't believe how close the train came to a street that's usually filled with shoppers and tourists.
"It's such a freak accident. I thank God it didn't happen during the day," Atkinson said. "Just imagine how many more people would have been hurt or killed?"
So as crews continue to clear debris, people here have no doubt this town is on track to recover.
"It will survive. It's a tough town," Tina McDaniel said.
Despite Main Street being closed, many shops and restaurants there are open.
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