The LA Times piece says, "Kathryn O'Leary Higgins noted that at least four serious violations of safety regulations have been exposed in the examination of the Sept. 12 head-on collision between a commuter train and a Union Pacific freight train: on-duty cellphone use, a failure to confirm signal colors, unauthorized ride-alongs and marijuana use by a train crew member.

"The industry must devise a more effective way to police train crews because traditional field inspections by supervisors are not working, she told reporters. "It's a handful of people who all know each other," Higgins said."

Prior news reports suggested that Sanchez's texting had been reported (apparently by co-workers) and even confirmed by a supervisor, but no action was taken (and Sanchez, farther down, is described as some sort of model employee).

A handful of people who know each other sounds like as good an explanation as any. OPRRMS is on the case again, I see, ready to minimize all this stuff. He's said here in the past that smokin' grass on the job is impossible, since everyone gets tested. And I'm wondering how a teenager gets smuggled into a locomotive cab without anyone noticing.