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Re: Ventura SB Amtrak Nails Truck at Crossing - five injured - Ghosts of 2015
Author: Poor Jose
Date: 12-13-2023 - 16:01
Brother Glenn W. Steele, 62, was working as a locomotive engineer for Metrolink when his train collided with a heavy-duty pickup truck that had been abandoned on the tracks near Oxnard, Calif., on February 24, 2015. He passed away on March 3, 2015.
A member of BLET Division 20 (Los Angeles), Brother Steele had been a BLET member for nearly 42 years, first joining the Brotherhood effective October 1, 1973.
He is survived by his wife, three children, and one grandchild.
--- Spanish speaking only Yuma man has been sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years probation for causing a fatal California train derailment by driving his truck onto the railroad tracks.
Ventura County District Attorney Gregory Totten said Thursday that Jose Alejandro Sanchez-Ramirez, of Yuma, Arizona, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter.
Sanchez-Ramirez, 58, was traveling through Oxnard on Feb. 24, 2015, when he mistakenly turned his truck onto the railroad tracks.
When the vehicle and the trailer it was towing became stuck authorities say Sanchez-Ramirez abandoned it without contacting police.
It was struck by a commuter train that derailed.
Sanchez-Ramirez said he ran for his life after failing to free the truck as the train approached.
The crash killed engineer Glenn William Steele and injured 30 passengers
The Los Angeles Times said on Wednesday the truck driver had a history of vehicle infractions in Arizona, including pleading guilty in 1998 to violations including driving with a blood alcohol content above the state's legal limit.
He also pleaded guilty to failure to obey a police officer, having liquor with a "minor on the premises" and having no insurance.
In 2004, Ramirez was convicted of a driving infraction in Yuma, Arizona and was cited for failure to obey a traffic control device in 2007, the newspaper said.
The truck driver at the center of the 2015 fatal Metrolink train derailment in Oxnard pleaded guilty Thursday to vehicular manslaughter, prosecutors said.
Jose Alejandro Sanchez-Ramirez, 58, did not appear in court to enter the plea to the misdemeanor offense. His defense attorney, Ron Bamieh, entered the plea on his behalf, which can happen in misdemeanor cases, said Senior Deputy District Attorney Scott Hendrickson
The Feb. 24, 2015 train crash at East Fifth Street and South Rice Avenue injured 33 passengers and crew members, including 62-year-old engineer Glenn William Steele. The engineer died a week later at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
It occurred when an “acutely fatigued” Sanchez-Ramirez, who was unfamiliar with the area, mistakenly drove his truck onto railroad tracks at the intersection, according to a report by the National Transportation Safety Board. He had been awake for more than 24 hours, the report states
The utility truck was towing a trailer and got stuck on the rails. Sanchez-Ramirez abandoned the vehicle 12 minutes after turning onto the tracks, and at 5:44 a.m. the train slammed into the utility truck, the report states
“We finally made a negotiated deal,” Bamieh said, adding that the Oxnard intersection has had previous problems with motorists turning onto the tracks.
The time his client did it, however, was unfortunately when a train was coming, he said.
A Steele family representative was in court Thursday when the guilty plea was entered and other the engineer’s other loved ones have been notified, Hendrickson said
“The victim’s family is very pleased with it,” Hendrickson said of the change in plea.
Sanchez-Ramirez initially pleaded not guilty. According to the court, the deal includes the defendant facing zero to 30 days in Ventura County jail, Bamieh said.
The defense attorney said he doesn't expect his client will serve any jail time, however.
The prosecutor said a conviction for the misdemeanor offense carries up to a year in county jail. Sanchez-Ramirez was arrested the day of the crash on suspicion of felony hit and run with multiple injuries but was released from jail custody a few days later after prosecutors announced no charges would be filed.
He was charged with the vehicular manslaughter offense nearly a year after the deadly crash.
While Bamieh said the aftermath of the incident was unfortunate, “I think everybody knows this was nothing intentional.”
Bamieh said the defense's investigation found that firefighters have pulled vehicles off the tracks about 18 times. The city has known about the problems there for years but has been “negligent,” Bamieh said
A member of BLET Division 20 (Los Angeles), Brother Steele had been a BLET member for nearly 42 years, first joining the Brotherhood effective October 1, 1973.
He is survived by his wife, three children, and one grandchild.
--- Spanish speaking only Yuma man has been sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years probation for causing a fatal California train derailment by driving his truck onto the railroad tracks.
Ventura County District Attorney Gregory Totten said Thursday that Jose Alejandro Sanchez-Ramirez, of Yuma, Arizona, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter.
Sanchez-Ramirez, 58, was traveling through Oxnard on Feb. 24, 2015, when he mistakenly turned his truck onto the railroad tracks.
When the vehicle and the trailer it was towing became stuck authorities say Sanchez-Ramirez abandoned it without contacting police.
It was struck by a commuter train that derailed.
Sanchez-Ramirez said he ran for his life after failing to free the truck as the train approached.
The crash killed engineer Glenn William Steele and injured 30 passengers
The Los Angeles Times said on Wednesday the truck driver had a history of vehicle infractions in Arizona, including pleading guilty in 1998 to violations including driving with a blood alcohol content above the state's legal limit.
He also pleaded guilty to failure to obey a police officer, having liquor with a "minor on the premises" and having no insurance.
In 2004, Ramirez was convicted of a driving infraction in Yuma, Arizona and was cited for failure to obey a traffic control device in 2007, the newspaper said.
The truck driver at the center of the 2015 fatal Metrolink train derailment in Oxnard pleaded guilty Thursday to vehicular manslaughter, prosecutors said.
Jose Alejandro Sanchez-Ramirez, 58, did not appear in court to enter the plea to the misdemeanor offense. His defense attorney, Ron Bamieh, entered the plea on his behalf, which can happen in misdemeanor cases, said Senior Deputy District Attorney Scott Hendrickson
The Feb. 24, 2015 train crash at East Fifth Street and South Rice Avenue injured 33 passengers and crew members, including 62-year-old engineer Glenn William Steele. The engineer died a week later at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
It occurred when an “acutely fatigued” Sanchez-Ramirez, who was unfamiliar with the area, mistakenly drove his truck onto railroad tracks at the intersection, according to a report by the National Transportation Safety Board. He had been awake for more than 24 hours, the report states
The utility truck was towing a trailer and got stuck on the rails. Sanchez-Ramirez abandoned the vehicle 12 minutes after turning onto the tracks, and at 5:44 a.m. the train slammed into the utility truck, the report states
“We finally made a negotiated deal,” Bamieh said, adding that the Oxnard intersection has had previous problems with motorists turning onto the tracks.
The time his client did it, however, was unfortunately when a train was coming, he said.
A Steele family representative was in court Thursday when the guilty plea was entered and other the engineer’s other loved ones have been notified, Hendrickson said
“The victim’s family is very pleased with it,” Hendrickson said of the change in plea.
Sanchez-Ramirez initially pleaded not guilty. According to the court, the deal includes the defendant facing zero to 30 days in Ventura County jail, Bamieh said.
The defense attorney said he doesn't expect his client will serve any jail time, however.
The prosecutor said a conviction for the misdemeanor offense carries up to a year in county jail. Sanchez-Ramirez was arrested the day of the crash on suspicion of felony hit and run with multiple injuries but was released from jail custody a few days later after prosecutors announced no charges would be filed.
He was charged with the vehicular manslaughter offense nearly a year after the deadly crash.
While Bamieh said the aftermath of the incident was unfortunate, “I think everybody knows this was nothing intentional.”
Bamieh said the defense's investigation found that firefighters have pulled vehicles off the tracks about 18 times. The city has known about the problems there for years but has been “negligent,” Bamieh said
