Sand Diego Metrolink Technology Would Have Prevented Chatsworth Metrolink Accident

I wrote this great blog and wanted to post it on LawFuel so readers nationwide would see that technologies already being used in San Diego trains, would have deifinitely prevented the Chatsworth Metro-link train wreck. Read this and understand how they were negligent.
September 15, 2008 – By Michael Ehline, Esq.

On September 15, 2008, the North County Transit District expressed its condolences to the victims of the Chatsworth Metrolink accident, in its “Rider Alert” and basically proved beyond a shadow of a doubt – perhaps not on purpose – that the Chatsworth Metrolink Train was negligent. On its online “NCTD Commuter Alert”, NCTD discussed the fact that the “commuter train and a freight train in the Chatsworth area of Los Angeles” would not have occurred if it had in place the same, cheap, basic safety program that is currently in place in San Diego.

Readers will recall that Metrolink admitted liability, and then later the spokeswoman for Metrolink Chatsworth, Denise Tyrrell, resigned, allegedly under pressure from her supervisors. The investigation into the Chatsworth train crash has so far uncovered that the Metrolink train engineer failed to “observe and obey a stop signal on the tracks just before the accident occurred”, the “Rider Alert” explains.

NCTD uses an operating contract partner, TransitAmerica Services, Inc., and has in place operating rules, procedures, and mechanical equipment that could have prevented the September 12, 2008, Chatsworth train crash. NCTD requires train engineers to call out all signal indications over the radio, as each signal is approached by one of their trains. NCTD rules also prohibit train engineers from using cell phones during train operations. NCTD also explained that “Adherence to these rules is regularly monitored and tested through field observations.”

NCTD in addition to the above, has mechanical equipment such as a “a built in audible warning system in the train cab.” And get this, when a train engineer doesn’t stop the train at a red train signal, THE TRAIN AUTOMATICALLY STOPS!! On top of that, the train dispatcher is automatically notified of the problem.

So basically, the Rider Alert proves that the accident could have easily been prevented with available technologies already being used in another California city. In other words, the Rider Alert” proves Chatsworth Metrolink negligent!


Former CPA Sentenced for Violating Supervised Release

PHOENIX (LAWFUEL) – James Douglas Sherriffs, 59, of Scottsdale, Ariz., was sentenced to 6 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge James A. Teilborg. Sherriffs was previously convicted in 2004 and has been on supervised release since 2005. The recent sentence was imposed after Sherriffs admitted to violating three of the special conditions of his supervised release. One of the conditions was the restriction of providing tax preparation and accounting services.

Sherriffs was originally indicted on April 10, 2003 on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and failure to file a tax return. According to the indictment, Sherriffs and two co-defendants marketed a system of trusts under the name PROTEC SERVICES TRUST. The trusts were set up with the purpose of evading the payment of federal taxes. According to the indictment, Sherriffs was a Certified Public Accountant. Sherriffs pleaded guilty on September 21, 2004. He was sentenced to 12 months plus one day in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution of $482,252.68.

Sherriffs was sentenced on September 8, 2008. The investigation in this case was conducted by special agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The prosecution was handled by Peter Sexton, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

CASE NUMBER: CR-03-00375-PHX-JAT

RELEASE NUMBER: 2008-242(Sherriffs)

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