“Today we mourn the loss of our fellow cast member,” said a statement by Mike Griffin, Disney’s vice president for public affairs. “Our hearts go out to his family and to those who have lost a friend and co-worker.” No one else was injured in the crash.

As of the time of this post, the Disney monorail is closed. The monorail runs three lines of service, nearly 15 miles of track and moves 50 million Disney guests a year.

Update: Inquisitr has video from moments after the crash – the video is posted below.

Here are a couple videos that will help you with your purchase. Apparently if you select English, the machine announces that you have selected English.

Bonus: as you watch the video, you may feel a bit woozy – just know that this is not actually how it feels to make the transfer unless you are drunk.

Superintendent Reassigned
The superintendent of the automatic control system that is supposed to prevent train crashes has been reassigned says the AP. Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel said Friday that Matthew Matyuf has been temporarily assigned to a “special project.” Taubenkibel would not elaborate on what that project was, or how long the reassignment would last. Note that the WMATA is saying this is just a precaution and not a “negative reflection” on the superintendent.

ATO System Fails Test
The Washington Post is reporting, “A train control system that should have prevented Monday’s deadly Metro crash failed in a test conducted by federal investigators, officials said yesterday, suggesting that a crucial breakdown of technology sent one train slamming into another.”

ATO means Automatic Train Operation and basically means the train is operated by computer. Human train operators can still take over the controls at any moment – in the case of this crash, the train operator in the moving train hit the emergency brake but there wasn’t enough time to stop the train.

From ABC News 7 in Washington, “Metro confirms two trains have collided on the Red Line between the Takoma and Fort Totten stations. It happened close to the Fort Totten station, a Metro spokesperson said.

D.C. Fire and EMS spokesman Alan Etter said one train was on top of the other train.”

5:45pm Eastern – CNN is now reporting that one person has been confirmed dead at the scene.

6:15pm Eastern – WTOP is reporting that two people have died. Crews are working to free trapped people in the trains.

8pm Eastern – “John Catoe, WMATA General Mgr., says a train was stopped waiting, and it was struck by the second train, moving at speed. They were both on the same track.” The operator of one of the trains has died.

9pm Eastern – updates are coming in that 6 people have died. CNN also notes, “Seventy people were treated at the scene — 56 with minor injuries, 12 with moderate injuries and two with life-threatening injuries, according to Chief Dennis Rubin of Washington’s Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department.”

Some photos from the scene:

You know what’s funny about this is that sometimes you just need to smile and laugh – and that’s what this bird did for me today. I’d go for a bouncy ride if I saw the bird.

The blogger says they only take photos when no other seats are available. The signs that are above the seats have always been meaningless to me- they are way too high and do no good for someone already sitting down. Most of these people should know to get up but perhaps the new technology trains could be built with some sort of shock buzzer system where if the seat is needed a light bit of electricity races through the seats to wake them up.

When I was a little kid, my mother would take sis and me on the bus and subway all the time. If we didn’t get up when someone got on the bus who needed to sit, we would immediately get mom’s eye that said with no words “get up now or your butt will be so red when we get home that you won’t sit for a week!” and we got up. Today parents will slap their 4 kids into the handicapped seats without thinking about it. It’s so disappointing….

Get up. I weigh more than anyone and I always get up. If I can, so can you. And teach your kids to get up.

Considering that airlines including Virgin America now offer wifi up in the sky, the LIRR along with all of the other suburban railroads should offer WiFi as well.

Now let’s get some tables on the LIRR or even a dedicated car with long tables to stand and work – that’d be hot.

No word on whether passengers will have to pay for the access on each trip.