Engineer in deadly crash had once let rail fan take controls

Los Angeles Times

WASHINGTON — The Metrolink engineer involved in a deadly rail disaster in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley last fall not only allowed unauthorized rail enthusiasts to sometimes ride in his cab, but on at least one occasion let them take the controls. And he planned to do it again on the day of the crash, records show.

The conduct, a serious violation of safety regulations, was disclosed Tuesday in a series of cell-phone text messages presented as evidence in a National Transportation Safety Board hearing on the collision.

Two days before the crash, engineer Robert M. Sanchez exchanged e-mails with the “rail enthusiasts” — teenagers, according to sources — discussing a ride-along that apparently took place the night before. The messages indicate one of the riders was “up in the cab” and “touching the controls.” Sanchez commented on how much one enthusiast “wanted to stay in the seat.”

In the crash, Sanchez failed to stop at a red signal — perhaps because he had been distracted by text messages — and hit head-on with a Union Pacific freight train. Along with Sanchez, 24 passengers were killed and 135 injured.

Text messages indicated Sanchez had let rail enthusiasts ride in locomotive cabs, but the conversation details released Tuesday also show that he tried to cover it up.