OUR VIEW: D.C. tragedy hits close to home for our community

» Culpeper grieves with the family of a woman killed in Monday’s collision of two Metro trains.

When watching TV news accounts of a mass casualty event like the deadly Metro train crash Monday in Washington, D.C., sadness, shock and confusion are typical reactions.

But when the tragedy hits close to home and a friend or family member dies, it becomes even tougher to understand.

Veronica Dubose, who lived in Culpeper for eight years, was among nine killed when two trains collided on the Red Line north of Fort Totten. She had graduated from high school in D.C. in 1998, then moved to Culpeper with her cousin. Dubose worked at Culpeper Health Care Center and the Country Cookin’ restaurant.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and those she left behind, including an 8-year-old boy and an 18-month-old girl.

Dubose, 29, was a young woman with a promising, full life ahead. On Monday, she was starting a new journey, heading to her first day of nursing school. She called her family, excited, on the train and headed off to class.

The family’s next call was the one nobody wants to receive: Dubose was dead in Metro’s worst-ever catastrophe.

Many good people died or were seriously injured. Many more are left to deal with the loss of their loved ones.

An investigation is under way, and from early accounts it appears a signaling circuit could be to blame; when investigators tested it following the accident, it failed. Reports also indicate that cars on the train were outdated and should have been taken out of service. Other reports point to a brake problem or failure of the computer system that automatically controls the trains.

Whatever the cause, the region is watching to make sure the issues are addressed.

Through the years, Metro has proven a reliable, safe way to travel. We hope the transit service is able to quickly remedy its problems and emerge safer than ever.