During the afternoon rush hour of June 22, 2009, a subway train-on-train collision occurred between two southbound Red Line Washington Metro trains between the Takoma and Fort Totten stations. A moving train collided with a train stopped ahead of it; the train operator along with eight passengers died, and 80 people were injured, making it the deadliest crash in the history of the Washington Metro.
You are standing in Legacy Memorial Park, built to honor the victims, first responders on scene, and others whose lives were altered from the collision. The Memorial Park will allow for meditation, remembrance, reflection, hope and renewal for all affected by the tragedy, especially the twelve orphaned children whose parents died in the incident. The Metro crash that day was the deadliest accident in the system’s history, and one of the worst subway rail accidents in modern history. It united the victims in a common tragic fate and affected the families and the community in ways that reverberate still.
The park design includes nine sculptural artworks, a memorial wall with an inscription written by family of the remembered, landscaping and hardscaping, as well as the installation of new lighting and streetscape amenities.
If you cross New Hampshire Ave and look through the fence on the overpass, you are looking down where the crash occurred. Be careful crossing, as most cars will not stop - even if you use the crosswalk.
I live in this neighborhood and take the red line frequently. This is a short walk from the station but there is also plenty of nearby parking.