Saturday, September 13, 2008

LA Train Toll Up to 25, Engineer Blamed for Missing Signal



Had the engineer stopped, Friday's Metrolink accident would not have occurred, officials with the Los Angeles-area commuter rail said today. As the reported death toll reaches 25, officials say the search for additional victims has come to a close, Esmeralda Bermudez, Garrett Therolf and Gale Holland of the Los Angeles Times report today:

The death toll rose throughout the day as at least two dozen bodies were pulled from the wreckage and at least one other victim, a teacher from Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, died at a hospital.

"We want to be honest in our appraisal," Tyrrell said at the scene of the crash, as rescue workers, now in recovery mode, continued to use heavy machinery to untangle the twisted remains of the most damaged passenger car.

"Barring any information from the NTSB, we believe our engineer failed to stop and that was the cause of the accident," she said, referring to the National Transportation Safety Board. "Of course, it is your worst fear that this could happen, that the ability for human error to occur could come into the scenario."

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