Personal Injury Law

Federal Hearing Regarding Chatsworth California Metrolink Disaster Confirms Engineer Warned About Cell Phone Use!

By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq.

NTSB federal panel hears Connex Railroad testimony about fatal Chatsworth, California Metrolink train crash.

Los Angeles, CA

The National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) www.ntsb.gov heard testimony in Washington D.C., on Tuesday, regarding the conduct of the engineer who died while operating the fatal Chatsworth Metrolink commuter train crash.

Robert M. Sanchez was the engineer, who was operating the train September 12, 2008, when he allegedly ran a red signal light and crashed into a Union Pacific freight train killing himself, 24 passengers, and injuring 135 as reported by the Los Angeles Time.

The NTSB panel heard testimony in Washington D.C. from Rick Dahl, a supervisor with Connex Railroad. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority ?Metrolink commuter rail,? contracts their train operators and workers from Connex Railroad.

Dahl testified he had warned Sanchez on two separate occasions about violating railroad policy regarding cell phone use. It is a serious violation for train engineers to use their cell phones while operating a moving train. The supervisor also testified Sanchez?s phone was found in his bag in 2006, but he was not observed by supervisors using the phone.

Shortly before the Chatsworth California accident, Dahl warned Sanchez, a second time, after a conductor reported seeing Sanchez using the cell phone while at work.

The testimony remains confusing because there have been contradictory reports from four witnesses and the surviving Metrolink conductor about the color of the rail signal. They all claim, the rail signal was green and not red when the train failed to switch lines. The federal panel remains hearing testimony and the investigation is ongoing.

Chatsworth California Metrolink Train Accident Attorney

Full post as published by California Personal Injury Law Blog on March 06, 2009 (boomark / email).