Probe Confirms Metrolink Engineer Was Texting on the Job
According to CNN, a probe into last week’s fatal collision near Los Angeles has found that the Metrolink train engineer sent text messages from his cell phone while on the job. It is still unclear whether he was doing so at the time of the crash.
From the article:
The National Transportation Safety Board is looking into claims that the engineer, 46-year-old Robert Sanchez, was sending text messages to two teenagers on Friday when his commuter train slammed into a Union Pacific freight train in Chatsworth, killing two dozen people, including himself.
Investigators subpoenaed the phone records of the engineer and determined that he “had sent and received text messages on the day of the accident, including some while he was on duty,” according to an NTSB statement Wednesday.
Investigators were still trying to determine at what time the messages were sent.
The NTSB already had determined that the brakes on the Metrolink train were not applied before the collision and that stop signals at the scene were working properly, said Kitty Higgins, an NTSB member assigned to the probe. Metrolink has said its train, carrying about 220 passengers, failed to stop for a red signal. 
Watch as callers to 911 describe the crash »
Twenty-four bodies were found at the scene after the head-on collision during rush hour Friday in the northwest Los Angeles suburb. A 25th victim, a man in his 50s, died later at a hospital. More than 130 people were injured.
Tags: Chatsworth, CNN, Crash, Kitty Higgins, Los Angeles, Metrolink, Metrolink Accident, National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB, Robert Sanchez, SMS, SMS Message, SMS Messaging, Text Message, Text Messaging, Train, Train Accident
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September 19, 2008 at 1:21 am
[...] Probe Confirms Metrolink Engineer Was Texting on the Job By kreuzer33 According to CNN, a probe into last week?s fatal collision near Los Angeles has found that the Metrolink train engineer sent text messages from his cell phone while on the job. It is still unclear whether he was doing so at the time of … Kreuzer’s Korner – http://kreuzer33.wordpress.com/ [...]
October 3, 2008 at 10:28 am
The media, public and regulators should not be tempted to ‘vilify’ SMS (Mobile Text messaging). SMS text is as ‘dangerous’ as eating or shaving while driving or operating or operating equipment. SMS is a great and very useful ’short message’ technology with the capability to alert users of fraudulent transactions, News breaks, Disasters, etc. we the human’s should engage in SMS and other activities in a responsible manner. Not pass more unenforceable laws but rather educate the public on best practices.