The driver sits on the right, IIRC, and is not elevated. The track was
not elevated.
The rails show 300-400 feet of braking. I would imagine that in a seatbeltless vehicle like a subway car, the slamming of the emergency brakes would feel much like a collision, so there may be confusion. The brakes were apparently triggered by a button, not a pedal, so they are probably pretty close to all-or-nothing.