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Board Concludes Engineer Ran Red Light in Chatsworth Train Crash
Investigators concluded this morning that witness statements were unreliable and that, based on evidence, the Metrolink engineer ran the red light, putting the train on a head-on collision course with a Union Pacific train, according to the LA Times .
"The Metrolink train passes the signal at Topanga; it is displaying a red stop indication," explains a detailed animation of the collision, which can be seen on the National Trasportation Safey Board's website. "Phone records show that by 4:22:01 the engineer has sent a text message in response to the message he just received... Event recorder data indicate that there was no braking on the Metrolink train, but the emergency brakes on the Union Pacific train were activated about 2 seconds before the collision."
25 people died and 135 were injured in the crash.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
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Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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