“Just imagine if while texting he missed seeing the red light.
Texting or talking on the phone while driving or operating a train is highly irresponsible.”
That’s probably what happened.
Where I work, it’s against the rules to use a cell phone while at the controls of a train. It’s even against the rules to copy railroad-related instructions from the train dispatcher, while in control of the train. In the latter case, either the train must be stopped first, or someone else must do the copying.
Of course, it’s premature to speak with certainty before the post-accident investigations are completed, but from the results, you can well understand WHY they don’t want the engineman distracted while running the train.
- John
Thank you for the insight.
He was obviously texting while operating the train.
I don’t know if MetroLink has the same rules, but, it would be hard to believe that they don’t.
His actions are reprehensible. What a terrible tragedy caused by one irresponsible person.