New York LIRR Engineer Accused of Allowing Passenger to Run Train
7/23/2009 -
A Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) engineer is being investigated after a witness reported he allowed a passenger to operate his train for a run from suburban Port Jefferson, N.Y., to New York City on July 2.
Although no one was injured and the train ride went smoothly, Nassau County prosecutors said allowing a passenger to operate a commuter train could have caused a mass casualty accident.
The engineer was suspended without pay pending the investigation. LIRR officials notified the Federal Railroad Administration. They called the incident “extremely serious and troubling” in a statement.
The investigation was prompted by a witness who told LIRR police he saw a passenger in the cab without the engineer during part of the July 2 trip. The train normally carries about 400 passengers and travels around 80 mph, railroad officials said.
Contact: Sue McGowan, LIRR, (718) 558-8228.
Although no one was injured and the train ride went smoothly, Nassau County prosecutors said allowing a passenger to operate a commuter train could have caused a mass casualty accident.
The engineer was suspended without pay pending the investigation. LIRR officials notified the Federal Railroad Administration. They called the incident “extremely serious and troubling” in a statement.
The investigation was prompted by a witness who told LIRR police he saw a passenger in the cab without the engineer during part of the July 2 trip. The train normally carries about 400 passengers and travels around 80 mph, railroad officials said.
Contact: Sue McGowan, LIRR, (718) 558-8228.
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