Amtrak engineer dragged off train, assaulted

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 4/17/7 | Michael Cabanatuan

[SmithL]

The engineer of an Amtrak Capitol Corridor train was seriously injured Monday night in West Sacramento after a group of people forced the train to stop, dragged the engineer from the train and assaulted him with rocks and bottles, according to Capitol Corridor officials.

The attack occurred as the train from the Bay Area neared the I Street Bridge to Sacramento's rail station and slowed for a signal, said Eugene Skoropowski, managing director of the Capitol Corridor, said. A group of people stood on the tracks to block the train, which stopped. When the engineer went downstairs and opened the door, he was dragged off the train and assaulted, Skoropowski said.

[SmithL]

Just Dayum!

[TASMANIANRED]

They have pretty much painted a bulls eye on themselves.

Think the next time they try it the engineer will stop?

[Graybeard58]

What was their point? They just decided to beat up an engineer? There seems to be something missing in this story.

[claudiustg]

OK.

Motive? Speaking truth to power? Putting an end to the evil railroad barons? Carbon offset strategy?

[Army Air Corps]

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?!

[JennysCool]

There seems to be something missing in this story.

A hole big enough to drive a train through, as a matter of fact.

[I see my hands]

Someone shot out the lights at the midnight basketball court.

[ishabibble]

What “group of people”?
What did the police say?
Why did the train stop and why was the “group” blocking it’s way?

Another fine product from the rainbow branch of the MSM.

[starbase]

There seems to be something missing in this story.

Well I remember reading a story a few years back about how Mexicans in the South West were blocking train tracks, then they would rush out and rob the products from the trains when they stopped.

Maybe the missing info here is that some Mexicans who know how to stop trains were having some fun and beating Americans. But we don't know, because there are important points missing from this write up, as you mention.

[Graybeard58]

Why did the train stop

I know why the lumber train stopped but if I tell you, I might get a time out.

[D-fendr]

Now an AmWAY engineer, I could understand..

[WSGilcrest]

They better get a handle on this. Doesn’t take much to put a train’s wheels on the ground.

[David_G_Burnet]

I don't get it.

The article doesn't even speculate about motive, and group of people is about as vague as you can get.

For all the information I took away from this story, the reporter might just as well have said "something happened in West Sacremento".

[Zetman]

Think the next time they try it the engineer will stop?

Yes, the engineer will stop. Most people are decent, and can't just run someone down in cold blood (unless immediate self-defense is required). However, I would guess that from now on, the engineer will NOT get out of the train, but will sit tight safe inside the cab and summon the police (or maybe throw the train into reverse, and try to get out of there). I hope the local authorities have some sort of "rapid response" security-types who can get there quickly, when needed.

I wonder what type of area this was, and what type of people attacked the engineer?? Strangely enough, the article does not say. In addition, the article alludes to a lot of known problems with the particular area where the attack occurred, but then never explains the nature of those problems. I am shocked and surprised by this!!

My first thought was that the attackers were "youths" similar to the "youths" who terrorized those trains in France last year.

[USNBandit]

Maybe they saw that the train had a car which wasn’t sufficiently tagged to their liking.

[goodnesswins]

LET the Train Engineers CARRY!

[gcruse]

“Motive?”

Loco.

Maybe they planned to drive the train to Cuba. I can just see it chugging down the beach.

[TASMANIANRED]

They will just break out the windows and go in after him/her.

[radiohead]

LET the Train Engineers CARRY!

LOL! Hell, let all of us carry!

[neodad]

Another fine product from the rainbow branch of the MSM.

"a group of people forced the train to stop"

"A group of people stood on the tracks to block the train"

Twice in as many paragraphs. WTF?