Amtrak Engineer Beaten and Hospitalized

[AlanB]

Well here's a sad and unfortunate story:

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 full story from the San Francisco Chronicle can be found here.

 

[MrFSS]

Well here's a sad and unfortunate story:

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 full story from the San Francisco Chronicle can be found here.

Interesting the report doesn't give a clue as to the reason for this happening. Sounds like a bad part of town!

 

[AlanB]

Interesting the report doesn't give a clue as to the reason for this happening. Sounds like a bad part of town!

I stress that what I'm about to relay is unconfirmed, but one poster on OTOL reports that a few people were blocking the tracks. After stopping the train, the engineer initially tried to reason with them to leave. When that failed, he climbed down from the engine with a fire extingiusher to use as a weapon. Once down at track level, he was then jumped by others hiding in the weeds before he could get to the group standing on the tracks.

 

[eliyahu]

I stress that what I'm about to relay is unconfirmed, but one poster on OTOL reports that a few people were blocking the tracks. After stopping the train, the engineer initially tried to reason with them to leave. When that failed, he climbed down from the engine with a fire extingiusher to use as a weapon. Once down at track level, he was then jumped by others hiding in the weeds before he could get to the group standing on the tracks.

alan: that was confirmed by gene skoropowski in an email sent out to riders along the capitol corridor. here is the text of the email which should expand the story some what:

Last evening we had perhaps the most serious incident regarding either vandalism or intent to disrupt service and/or injure, maim or kill members of a train crew. It is the most horrific incident I have seen in my nearly 40 years in the railroad business.
At approximately 10.15 PM last evening in West Sacramento, as Train #546 was approaching the I Street bridge to Sacramento and the Train station, the train slowed due to a restricting signal. A group of people placed themselves on the tracks in front of the train, forcing the engineer to stop the train. The engineer and engineer-in-training secured the train and went downstairs in an attempt to clear the tracks. Upon opening the door of the cab car, the engineer was dragged off the train and assaulted with rocks and bottles, and was beaten so badly that he has had staples put into his head to repair the damage, and is still suffering from blood in his urine, indicating internal injuries. Upon an immediate emergency call, the engineer (Mr. Jake Keating) was transported by ambulance to U.C. Davis Medical Center in Sacramento where he will be staying for some time. Regular riders may want to drop him a get well card, or some indication of appreciation for the job he, and all the Amtrak crews do, every day, for the Capitol Corridor service.

However, there was no rhyme or reason for this unprovoked attack, and the attacked train crew member could just as easily have been a Union Pacific crew member, a Burlington Northern crew member or a crew member from any of the other Amtrak trains. As of this writing, one member of the gang that allegedly did this is in custody by police.

It is unknown at this time what motivated this attack, or if there was any motivation at all (maybe just "sport", which is a horrible thought given all the carnage at Virginia Tech yesterday). While the area along the tracks in West Sacramento has been a magnet for years for vagrants, homeless encampments and others who have intentionally done damage to our trains (rocks breaking windows, debris intentionally placed on the tracks to try to damage equipment), last night is by far the most serious incident we have encountered in the eight year existence of the Capitol Corridor. Our Amtrak-operated Capitol Corridor service justly has a reputation of being 'a safe and secure service', both for passengers and crew members. This event last night has shaken that confidence and, even with all the measures we have taken (expanded Amtrak Police presence, cab mounted cameras, surveillance cameras in and around Sacramento Station), and that are taking (on-board security cameras, wireless transmission, and wayside cameras), there does need to be some immediate follow-up action to try to prevent any repeat of this incident, particularly in West Sacramento, which has been a continuing problem area.

I am making the following requests:

1.We are making a plea to the West Sacramento Police for additional patrols in this area. We are also asking Union Pacific Police, the State Highway Patrol, and Amtrak Police to focus on this problem area in West Sacramento between the I Street Bridge and the levee where the trains cross the Yolo wetlands.

2.We are asking Union Pacific Railroad and the City of West Sacramento

to immediately cut all the brush on both sides of the UPRR right-of-way, from one side of the railroad right-of-way to the other, removing all obstacles to vision, and cutting down all large bushes and trees/overgrown weeds which are housing several West Sacramento homeless encampments along the tracks, and to remove this cut brush and all other cut brush from the property, including discarded ties and other illegally dumped trash and debris that might be placed in front of trains. Police assistance will likely be required, due to the extensive homeless encampments.

3. We will be asking Caltrans and the State Highway Patrol, and all

local and railroad police, to 'beef up' patrols of this area, and enforce the 'no trespassing' laws to their full extent.

4.To the extent this incident may be a federal offense, we will be

in contact with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the U.S. Justice department and any other federal entities that may have jurisdiction over an incident of this type.

5.We will be asking Union Pacific to look at the signalling/track

conditions on this part of the railroad to see if there is any way to permit trains to pass through this area as quickly as safety will allow, including relocating signals or upgrading tracks for their maximum authorized speed limit, in order to get trains through this area as quickly as possible, and to minimize any 'slow movement' which might be an attraction for further incidents. We recognize that this may be difficult, as the I Street Bridge is an old, moveable bridge, with road traffic on its upper level (Jaboom Street), but we are trying to identify every possible means to minimize the opportunity for future incidents.

6.We will attempt to identify safety and security funds to accelerate

installation of night-vision cameras in this area so that engineers on trains approaching this area might be given an advance warning of 'potential trouble', based upon real-time observations of activity along the tracks.

It is most troubling to me since this area of west Sacramento is actually starting to be reinvigorated by new investments, and residential units along the west bank area of the Sacramento River. Yet the area along the tracks seems to have become a worse attraction for homeless, vagrant and destructive activity of late. Clearly, a determined, rigid, and consistent effort is going to be needed to be made by all parties if this problem is to be corrected and the area made safe for people and trains.

This is most somber note I have written in a long time.

Gene

Eugene K. Skoropowski

Managing Director

Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority

300 Lakeside Drive, 14th floor

Oakland, California 94612

-- eliyahu

austin, tx

 

[stuck in Tuscaloosa]

What kind of trash are we breeding here in the USA? This is awful news. ........speechless.

sit

 

[George Harris]

2.We are asking Union Pacific Railroad and the City of West Sacramentoto immediately cut all the brush on both sides of the UPRR right-of-way, from one side of the railroad right-of-way to the other, removing all obstacles to vision, and cutting down all large bushes and trees/overgrown weeds which are housing several West Sacramento homeless encampments along the tracks, and to remove this cut brush and all other cut brush from the property, including discarded ties and other illegally dumped trash and debris that might be placed in front of trains. Police assistance will likely be required, due to the extensive homeless encampments.

Police assistance? More likely a combat infantry batallion. They had better start this at about 6:00 pm on Friday after all the lawyers have gone out to get drunk. Otherwise all the advocates for homeless, environment, and every other nutty cause of the moment will be out to get court orders to stop it.

 

[eliyahu]

What kind of trash are we breeding here in the USA? This is awful news. ........speechless.

as of a few hours ago, they've made another arrest in the case (see here). assuming the lad now under custody is one of the thugs who committed the crime, i really hope the maximum sentence is applied here. honestly, the breeding of these animals in our country is out of control -- and i'm no longer interested in their abusive parents, failing schools, or whatever other absurd back-story some leftist nutter uses to generate 'understanding' for these criminals. they could have killed people. that's enough for me to allow the judicial system to keep them out of circulation using whatever constitutional allowable methods at their disposal.

i know we all here wish the engineer a complete and speedy recovery.

-- eliyahu

austin, tx

 

[tp49]

Well here's a sad and unfortunate story:

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 full story from the San Francisco Chronicle can be found here.

Interesting the report doesn't give a clue as to the reason for this happening. Sounds like a bad part of town!

The area in question is not the greatest. North of the bridge is new condo development the condos are pretty nice and look to go for around market rate. They have discussed in the past building a Governor's Mansion in the area north of the tracks closer to the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers as a means of revitilizing the area.

The area south of the tracks is lower income and gang infested. They have had a lot of issues with gangs in that neighborhood for years. There are also a number of homeless camps very close to the I Street Bridge the UP bulls and West Sac PD both go in there and do sweeps with some regularity.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

Not regularly enough, apparently. Maybe they need a baggage car with a SWAT team inside it every once in awhile.

 

[Chatter163]

What I cannot understand is why the engineer would even leave the safety of the engine, given the nature of this incident. Why would he not have simply called police and waited?

 

[eliyahu]

What I cannot understand is why the engineer would even leave the safety of the engine, given the nature of this incident. Why would he not have simply called police and waited?

while this is complete speculation, given that the engineer had no idea (and certainly no reasonable expectation) that murderous thugs were lying in wait for him, he probably just figured a few punks were holding up his train. in that case, as he is a grown man, he would reasonably expect to be able to chase them off the tracks and move on.

i don't know if there are UP, FRA, or amtrak rules governing when the engineer is allowed to leave the cab or not; i do know that regardless of the engineer's actions, we should not lose fact of who is responsible for this incident. the engineer -- at least in my mind, maybe not in others -- did not contribute to this. he is merely a victim, and if they had just 'waited for police' imagine what else these criminals might have done. who knows? maybe they would have chucked their stones at the passenger cars (what a bleeding-heart would call a 'non-violent protest') or maybe they were armed. the point is that, from his perspective, there was no real danger apparent.

-- eliyahu

austin, tx

 

[Mark]

I'm sure some claims official either for UP or Amtrak has already been to the engineers bedside in an attempt to get him to sign away his rights and avoid a 'reportable injury'.

UP undoubtedly has some kind of rule, (they have them regarding just about everything), about leaving the cab at a signal or something like that. They will ask him how he got off the train, with which foot, was he wearing his gloves, did he have his hearing protection in, what did he say, why didn't he call the dispatcher and ask for assistance, etc. They, (either UP or Amtrak- whomever is responsible for the crew), will try to blame the engineer for the incident by citing some crapy rules infraction.

 

[RailFanLNK]

This may sound stupid but this is the "midwesterner" coming out of me. Would there be anyway we could send a card to him? We all have had crappy things happen in our life and a card from a customer (which we all are) always goes a long way with me. I'm not asking for a home address or anything but maybe a PO or an address to Amtrak.

 

[Amtrak Watcher]

To answer the question from Stuck in Tuscaloosa as to what kind of trash we are breeding to the USA; the answer is that we are obliged to put up with whatever parents raise: thugs, animals, morons: anything will do these days.

 

[AlanB]

This may sound stupid but this is the "midwestern" coming out of me. Would there be anyway we could send a card to him? We all have had crappy things happen in our life and a card from a customer (which we all are) always goes a long way with me. I'm not asking for a home address or anything but maybe a PO or an address to Amtrak.

I don't know how other people might think and certainly welcome their ideas, but personally I would think that if you sent a card to the CCJPA (address above at the bottom of the email from Gene) I would bet that they would make an effort to see any cards delivered to the poor engineer.

Just put the engineer's name on it and C/O CCJPA at the address.

 

[eliyahu]

This may sound stupid but this is the "midwestern" coming out of me. Would there be anyway we could send a card to him? We all have had crappy things happen in our life and a card from a customer (which we all are) always goes a long way with me. I'm not asking for a home address or anything but maybe a PO or an address to Amtrak.

not sure about getting a home address, but i'm sure if a card was sent via UC Davis Hospital it would get to him. you can probably call the nurses' desk and find out how to do this. folks all over the country -- not just those who lived along the corridor -- have been sending their thoughts after hearing this. so hopefully the midwestern spirit is spreading. you might also try calling the capitol corridor number (877-974-3322) to see how to accomplish this, although you probably won't get anyone who's familiar with the hullabaloo.

update: looks like alan and i hit the 'post' button about the same time. sorry about any duplication!

-- eliyahu

austin, tx

 

[Steve4031]

This sounds like gang activity to me. I work in an urban school that has gang activitiy, and this is usually how they fight/attack rival gang members. Why they would do this to a train crew, I do not know.

 

[Amtrak Watcher]

Gangs are substitutes for families. Being without functional families, the gang-bangers feel weak and insignificant, and look to their fellow gang-members for strength a validation. This is why they attack symbols of power, order, and respect (trains, buildings, churches, schools, police) as well as the weak and helpless (other gangs, old people). Amtrak equipment and crews meet the criteria.

 

[tp49]

This sounds like gang activity to me. I work in an urban school that has gang activitiy, and this is usually how they fight/attack rival gang members. Why they would do this to a train crew, I do not know.

The 17 year old is a suspected member of the Broderick Boys gang in West Sac and the alleged motive was train robbery. He was arraigned yesterday.

 

[AmtrakFan]

Good Glad to see they caught him. I hope the Idoit gets to go to the Big House and hopefully the Proscuter will be smart and try the idoit kid as a Adult.

 

[~guest~]

Ok, I just have to ask the question... why did the train stop???

Gangs love to try to get power. Imagine the power they felt when they stopped a train by just standing there. Imagine what an ego boost and gang power thing that was.

Prove to these kids that they have no power, and that standing on RR track = serious injury/death. Open it up wide, and show they they can not and do not control the world. Run them down.

The problem with the world today is that we are helping the weak and stupid to survive and reproduce... run them down.. show them they are no better than any other human being....

[Out of curiousity, is there any protocol updates now available? What is the future plan?]

 

[AmtrakWPK]

At a minimum, I think they ought to issue tear gas grenades to the engineers, and maybe some flash-bangs. From where the engineers are they ought to be able to lob the grenades quite a distance. If they knew for sure the trespassers were all gang members, (I wouldn't put it past them to tie up a hostage and stick them on the tracks) I would certainly have been inclined to not stop the train unless they lost the signal, and I think they should simply call police/sheriff/whatever by radio and cellphone AND STAY ON THE TRAIN, with everything buttoned up tight, until assistance comes, with the train horn sounding continuously (perhaps alternated with S O S ) to help attract assistance and deafen the gang members so they can't communicate with each other. Some pre-mounted floodlights and a video camera would also be nice so the cops can then use the recording to help ID the perps. If those trains use a common pool of equipment, they could install that stuff fairly cheaply and it ought to pay off in prosecutions and convictions.