Danger! Crocs on the Escalator!

Officials want changes to popular clogs, susceptible to escalator mishaps

(NEWSER) - After their research confirmed what many had complained about, Japanese officials today asked the makers of popular Crocs clogs to do something about a design that makes wearers susceptible to getting caught in escalators, the AP reports. The grip and flexibility of the plastic footwear led to several dozen incidents mainly involving young children. More»

(NEWSER) - The Washington subway car that rear-ended another yesterday, killing nine passengers, was two months overdue for brake maintenance, a Metro source tells the Post today. “These components are supposed to be changed out to prevent failures,” the source said; officials have not said if they think the car’s age and condition played a role in the wreck. More»

(NEWSER) - Experts suspect yesterday’s deadly subway collision in Washington was the result of both a system failure and human error, the Washington Post reports. The city’s trains are run by onboard computers, which should, theoretically, prevent trains from colliding. The system has failed once before, in 2005, but the operators hit the emergency brakes in time. It appears yesterday’s operator did not. More»

(NEWSER) - At least six are dead and 70 others injured after two subway trains collided during rush hour this evening in Washington DC, the AP reports. The incident is “developing into a mass casualty event,” a Metro spokesman told WJLA-TV. “We’re expecting a number of injuries.” A train on the Red Line, the system’s busiest, plowed into another train stopped at a station, Metro's general manager said at a press conference. More»

(NEWSER) - A Pennsylvania woman has sued the manufacturer of Crocs for $7.5 million after her son was injured in an escalator accident, the Baltimore Sun reports. The 6-year-old was wearing the company's foam clogs when they caught in an escalator and mangled his right big toe. The suit charges that the company knew the combo was dangerous but didn't warn consumers. More»