LIRR Engineer Admits Letting Random Dude Drive Train

Ronald Cabrera, left, and guest engineer William Kutsch, right.

In August of 2009 a Long Island Railroad engineer was accused of letting a passenger operate the train for almost a half hour between Hicksville and Hunters Point Avenue in Queens. Both the passenger and the engineer were subsequently arrested, and today former train engineer Ronald Cabrera, 41, accepted a plea deal that will get him 50 hours of community service and a $500 fine. He pleaded guilty to official misconduct, a misdemeanor, and admitted that he let court stenographer William Kutsch into the train cab. Today Cabrera also revealed what possessed him to do such a stupid thing.

Newsday reports (paywall) that Cabrera, who was going through a divorce at the time, let Kutsch into the cab in exchange for free legal advice. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors dropped the charge of reckless endangerment—a charge which Kutsch still faces. He's due in court on October 26th, and faces up to a year in jail if convicted. As for Cabrera, he's been fired from the LIRR, but his lawyer thinks this plea deal will enable his client to get his job back! Hey, why not? It's not as if he let some little kid drive the train.

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By John Del Signore in News on October 12, 2010 5:10 PM

Comments [rss]

rammyh

Also, Kutsch faces a possible YEAR in jail?

He didn't force himself in at gunpoint.

Kutsch - "Hey, can I drive the train for a little bit?"

Cabrera - "Sure. Come in."

BANG - one year in prison for Kutsch! That's crap.

JenChungsBaby

Cabrera looks like one of the bad guy boxers in Mike Tyson's Punchout.

John L

It was wrong of him and they should've punished him severely but criminal charges seem a little excessive. Everyone deserves one chance unless someone gets hurt.

Oh well.

He looks like Vin Diesel.

Fast & Furious: The LIRR Edition

jaycjay

"Admits Letting Random Dude Drive Train"

Actually, he admitted only letting the guy into the cab. They both deny that Kutsch ever took the controls.

justthinkin

Kutsch's legal advice to Cabrera would probably have been as useful as a bottle of Pantene.

kevin

Was he really endangering anything? Have you ever looked inside the driver's cabin? it's not very complicated, there is a lever that slows the train or speeds it up. Its not like he can go swerve the thing into little kids.

Man, I remember when I was 8 and the pilot let me sit in the co-pilots chair after I told him I wanted to be a pilot one day (and would still love to!). He would probably be sent to Guantanamo these days.

John L

Reminds me of Airplane the movie

Captain Oveur: Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?

http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/35935/detail/

jaycjay

No, he wasn't endangering anyone. And the reckless endangerment charge was dropped.

Kelles

do bald guys all look alike in mug shots?

jaycjay

No. For example:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/general/funny-faces/funny-faces-13

Or, for a different perspective:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/10-1-10-mugs?page=9

jaycjay

The real mistake he made was exchanging something of value, the ride in the cab, for something worthless: legal advice from a court stenographer.

youngpro

how is a stenographer able to give legal advice?

jaycjay

They should definitely give him his job back, because he has experience and obviously you need to special training and skills in order to... oh, wait. Never mind.