16 months after the September 12, 2008 Chatsworth train accident involving a Metrolink train colliding with a Union pacific freight train, the National Transportation Safety Board is confirming initial reports that train engineer Robert Sanchez sent text messages before running a red light and crashing a Metrolink train into a Union Pacific freight train. Sanchez and 24 other people died in the Los Angeles County train collision that derailed seven freight cars. Over 130 people were injured.
While some witnesses have said that the light was green, radio communications analysis and dispatch-center records indicate that the light was red. According to federal investigators, Sanchez was supposed to let a dispatcher know that he saw the last two signals warning him that he needed to stop the train. He also received/sent 43 text messages on the day of the train accident. The last text was transmitted 23 seconds before the train crash. NTSB investigators say that Sanchez usually sent more texts when he was working than when he was off the clock.
The NTSB says the deadly collision might have been avoided if a "positive train control" system was in place. This stops a Metrolink train if it runs a red signal.
Texting while Driving
Text messaging while driving any vehicle is very dangerous. This distracted driving activity raises a driver's crash risk significantly, turning a seemingly harmless form of communication into a cause of fatality and serious personal injuries for vehicle occupants, pedestrians, and train passengers. Texting requires a person to take their eyes off the road and at least one (if not both) hands of the steering wheel. It also slows a driver's reaction time, impairing his/her ability to quickly respond to a possible motor vehicle crash scenario.
Investigators: Light was red in 2008 Chatsworth train crash, despite what witnesses said, Los Angeles Times, January 21, 2010
Expert says train engineer in California sent text messages before fatal crash, New York Times, January 21, 2010
Related Web Resources:
FocusDriven.org
If you were injured in a Metrolink train crash because a train operator, the driver of a motor vehicle, or another party was negligent, you may have grounds for pursuing an injury claim or wrongful death lawsuit. Contact our Los Angeles County injury attorneys today.
