Results tagged “lirrengineer”

With a criminal trial still pending, the LIRR has fired the engineer accused of allowing a man to drive his train for up to twenty miles during a rush hour trip in July. After an internal investigation, Long Island Rail Road officials decided to terminate Ronald Cabrera for what the Nassau County DA called an "unimaginably reckless act.” Cabrera, who had worked for the LIRR for twenty years, will get to keep his pension. He still insists that hewas always in control of the Port Jefferson train heading into the city that court stenographer William Kutsch is accused of driving through seven car crossings, one pedestrian crossing, and 24 home signals. Cabrera's lawyer says the incident is "a perceived event, rather than something that really happened." He also called the termination an attempt by the MTA to divert attention from its own "fumbling, inefficient and wasteful mismanagement." Both Cabrera and Kutsch could face a year in jail if they are convicted on reckless endangerment charges.

Now that a Long Island Rail Road engineer and passenger have been charged with reckless endangerment—the passenger, a court stenographer (pictured), was allegedly allowed to drive a 500-ton train 25 miles—Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice is turning her attention to basic LIRR matters. Newsday reports that Rice's suggestions for the LIRR include "Improving event recorders - or 'black boxes' - on trains to make them record data about the use of the 'dead man pedal,' which must be constantly compressed for the train to operate; installing video and audio recording devices in the engineer's cab; and requiring engineers to wear identification badges and uniforms while on duty." Yes, LIRR engineers are not required to wear uniforms, though conductors and ticket takers are. Rice explains that uniforms "will enable the general public to quickly identify them, particularly when an emergency arises, or when there is some question about their conduct." The LIRR, which is reviewing the suggestions, says that the uniform issue will have to be taken up in collective bargaining with the engineers' union.

With his client facing charges of reckless endangerment in the second degree for allegedly operating a Long Island Rail Road train, LIRR passenger William Kutsch's lawyer said, "Mr. Kutsch is anxious to let this take its course. When the facts and circumstances are known, he is confident that he will be vindicated." Kutsch is accused of being behind the controls of a westbound LIRR train on July 2—and the engineer at the time, Ronald Cabrera, was also charged with second degree reckless endangerment as well as official misconduct.

[UPDATE BELOW] Would you let this man drive your train? Sure, why not—as long as he knows how to drive, which this man most certainly does not. Bill Kutsch, a court stenographer in Manhattan and a lifelong resident of Setauket, Long Island, turned himself in to Nassau County police today to face a felony charge of reckless endangerment for allegedly operating a westbound LIRR train on July 2nd. You'll recall that a witness blew the whistle on Kutsch's joyride after he allegedly operated the double-decker diesel train as it traveled 25 miles from Hicksville to Hunters Point Avenue in Queens.

Yesterday, the MTA police revealed that, based on a witness's account, a Long Island Rail Road passenger was allegedly allowed to drive the 6:45 a.m. westbound train from Port Jefferson between Hicksville and Hunters Point Avenue. The engineer on duty, Ronald Cabrera, was suspended and that a criminal investigation was opened. Now the witness tells Newsday what he saw, "[The passenger] knocked on the engineer's door and the engineer let him in." When the passenger emerged from the engineer's cab, he asked another ride, "How'd I do?"

Uh oh: Newsday reports, "A Long Island Rail Road engineer has been suspended without pay following accusations that he allowed a passenger to operate a train as it traveled west of Hicksville earlier this month and law enforcement authorities are investigating." The MTA Police Chief, Michael Coan, said they are working on developing a criminal case against the engineer and passenger, "We know somebody was in the cab. We don't know what happened there. We also know that it ran smoothly and nobody was injured."