Rarely does an adult nightclub have the opportunity to assist with a tragic situation, but that was exactly the case when a train collided with a dump truck in North Arlington, Texas. The fiery collision killed two people and injured several more, when the dump truck reportedly drove through the crossing arms. Though the train was traveling under its speed limit at 74 mph, the dump truck burst into flame upon impact, killing both passengers.
The collision caused the windows on the TRE (Trinity Railway Express) to blow out, as the train came to a complete stop just past the intersection of the crash. Because it was noon on a late August afternoon, the uninjured passengers were going to be stuck in the sweltering heat until a shuttle bus arrived. That is, until the Cabaret East club in Euless, TX, was enlisted to help, and help they did.
“We shared appreciation for your hospitality with our community and media partners, as well as on our social media platforms. The response from the community has been exceptional! Thank you for everything that you and your staff for all you did during this tragic situation, and for making the lives of those who had just been involved in an exceptionally stressful event a little better!”
“MedStar personnel responded to the incident and coordinated the treatment of 13 victims, but we also had 30 uninjured passengers on-scene, displaced from the disabled train,” said a letter written by Matt Zavadsky, Chief Strategic Integration Officer for MedStar Mobile Healthcare. “Due to the extreme heat of the environment, many of the passengers began exhibiting signs and symptoms of heat-related illness, and several were in serious need of rest rooms. We needed to move them to a cool environment, where they would also have access to restrooms. Cabaret East was just around the corner from the crash scene and was a logical location for the needed shelter until a bus from the Fort Worth Transportation Authority could arrive and transport everyone to their final destinations.
“When I arrived in advance at your establishment with such an unusual request, I could not have been more impressed with the way that [club manager Clark Hall], Michelle, and the rest of your staff handled the situation,” Zavadsky’s letter continued. “You all immediately said yes and jumped into action arranging for the interior environment to be ‘family friendly’. When we arrived with 30 people on our ambulance bus, your staff not only helped everyone navigate the building, but provided ice water for all the victims and responders.”
Firefighters from three cities appeared on the scene, while several ambulances were also dispatched. In total, 11 of the train’s passengers were hospitalized; two were in critical condition, while the rest had various injuries that were not life threatening.
“Everyone was exceptionally impressed with you and your staff, and could not have been happier to finally be out of the heat, hydrated and able to use rest rooms,” Zavadsky’s letter went on to say. “We shared appreciation for your hospitality with our community and media partners, as well as on our social media platforms. The response from the community has been exceptional! Thank you for everything that you and your staff for all you did during this tragic situation, and for making the lives of those who had just been involved in an exceptionally stressful event a little better!”
