You may recall that Housley had a friend on that train, though he didn't know it at the time he was on the scene and reporting on the crash.The Investigation: Texting Might Not Be the Cause.
Engineer Robert Sanchez called back to the conductor that the first signal was flashing yellow … and then no other communications. The train would then run two more lights, a solid yellow and a red signal … never did the train slow and never did the engineer or the conductor pull the emergency brake.
Apparently, all of the communications run through dispatch center and the tapes go dead after that first call out of a flashing yellow light. That means the data from the black boxes will hopefully shed some light on any communications right before the collision.
The railroad investigators are blown away that, 1.) the engineer blew thru all the signals and the switch (I am told you’d either have to do it on purpose or be disabled); and, 2.) that the conductor didn’t pull the emergency brake, which I am told is not only an immediately “fire-able” offense, but just about criminally negligent.
In fact, as this investigation proceeds, a source close to the investigation says in order for the engineer to miss three lights — a flashing yellow, a solid yellow and a red — he’d “really have to be trying.” He said that the distance between the lights, as well as “the switch the engineer blew through,” was more than enough distance to stop. He said it couldn’t have been a matter of just being distracted while texting…like a car driver who talks or texts and misses a light.
That happens pretty quickly. This situation, with the train having three solid warnings, plus the matter of the switch, meant there was something bad going on: either the engineer became disabled or he let the accident happen on purpose.
Furthermore, he said the conductor on the train — a guy who would know every inch, every bump, every switch, every light — had a responsibility he didn’t handle. What happens is if the engineer goes through the flashing yellow and doesn’t communicate and/or slow/stop for the solid yellow and red, the conductor is obligated to pull the emergency stop … which, as we know, didn’t happen.
As I've looked at this accident I've come to the conclusion that it wasn't engineer distraction that caused the wreck, but either some sort of disability to the engineer that rendered him unable to act, or a suicide. I'm leaning toward the former as more info comes out. Although the engineer had some past tragedy in his life, there was no indication that he had been despondent or otherwise prone to hurt himself prior to the accident.
I hope the autopsy will reveal something, but his body was so badly damaged there may not be much for the authorities to work with.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment