A San Francisco car accident involving two streetcars and a sports utility vehicle injured six people Monday evening and backed up traffic in the Castro district for hours.

The San Francisco Examiner reported that the car collision occurred at Market Street and Noe Street at 5:46 p.m. when a historic F-Market/Wharves streetcar rammed into a Nissan Pathfinder and sandwiched it between another streetcar.

The drivers of the rear streetcar and the SUV were both rushed to the hospital while medical personnel treated other injuries on the scene. Thankfully, both streetcars were not completely packed at the time of the accident, avoiding further injuries.

Completely Avoidable

Officials however were aghast at the second Muni accident in just over two weeks and admitted that this recent train accident could most possibly have been avoided.

"I'm just incredulous," San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty said. "This looks like a very avoidable streetcar accident. I mean why are they even running so close together?"

Streetcar drivers are supposed to stay at least a city block or 250 feet behind other streetcars, but witnesses say that those involved in the recent train collision were much closer together, with the rear streetcar not slowing down even as Dufty said that he had been informed that its brakes were in working order.

Passengers meantime blamed the rear streetcar operator for the accident, claiming that the driver was busy talking to one of the passengers and not paying attention to other vehicles.

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency director Nathaniel Ford meantime also called the accident "intolerable and deeply frustrating."

"I know that the riding public is concerned about Muni safety, and so am I," Ford said hours after the accident.

The operators of the streetcars, Lonny Butler and Leonard Peralta, are being tested for drugs and alcohol and have been placed on non-driving status while officials investigate the car accident.

Muni Injuries on the Rise

It's always unsettling when accidents occur on our public transportation system. I'm thankful that there were no fatalities in Monday's crash but also join the public in its rising clamor for safer public transportation.

Data from the Federal Transit Administration shows that injuries arising from accidents involving San Francisco Municipal Railway trains have more than tripled in five years with 21 passengers injured in 2003 compared to 70 passengers last year. As of last month, 68 passengers have already been injured in light-rail train accidents in San Francisco.

Obviously, city and transportation officials must step up their efforts to provide a reliable and safe transit system for the public. Words are cheap when lives are on the line. However, when accidents occur, victims are advised to consult a California personal injury lawyer who can help make sure that they receive the proper compensation. Consulting a personal injury lawyer meantime can also spur concerned officials to take more drastic action to improve their safety policies and ensure that similar accidents are avoided in the future.