I am reposting my series on The Turcot Train Tragedy as it approaches the second anniversary of that horrible event. Alas, with no government accountability. Final Installment, # 16. Transportation Minister Denis Lebel responds: ” …As I stated in my correspondence of April 25, 2012, the Transportation Safety Board is the lead agency that investigates rail transportation incidents involving federally regulated railways….”

Lokshtanov

by Jack Locke

New documents released by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, following a Lockeblog access to information request, suggest the VIA Rail train that killed three Montreal-area boys on Oct. 31, 2010 may have been speeding.

The fast moving train that killed Dylan Ford, Mitchell Bracken-Guenet, and Ricardo Conesa was about to enter a 35 mph zone when it struck the teens. Yet, the brakes on the train were not applied until after the three were struck.

Various accounts describe the train travelling at between 63 and 70 mph. An initial Transport Saftey Board(TSB) account lists the train travelling at 70 mph at mileage point 4.7 of Canadian National Railway’s track. CN is the owner of the track used by VIA.

A VIA Rail accident report suggests the train was travelling at “approximately” 63 mph at mileage 4.5 when the young men were hit at 3 AM the…

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I am reposting my series on The Turcot Train Tragedy as it approaches the second anniversary of that horrible event. Alas, with no government accountability. Installment 15.

Lokshtanov

by Jack Locke

Canada’s Minister of Transport Chuck Strahl has announced his retirement.
I wish you well, Chuck.
Also, I await documents from one of his agencies, the Transportation Safety Board–related to the Turcot Train Tragedy.
I am hoping for a Tsunami of documents.

View original post

I am reposting my series on The Turcot Train Tragedy as it approaches the second anniversary of that horrible event. Alas, with no government accountability. Installment 15.

Lokshtanov

by Jack Locke

Canada’s Minister of Transport Chuck Strahl has announced his retirement.
I wish you well, Chuck.
Also, I await documents from one of his agencies, the Transportation Safety Board–related to the Turcot Train Tragedy.
I am hoping for a Tsunami of documents.

View original post

I am reposting my series on The Turcot Train Tragedy as it approaches the second anniversary of that horrible event. Alas, with no government accountability. Installment 14.

Lokshtanov

By Jack Locke

Newly disclosed documents shed more light on the Turcot Train Tragedy and the VIA Rail train that hit three young men in Montreal at 3 A.M., Oct. 31, 2010. Not very pleasant light.

The bundle of documents reveal the Transportation Safety Board of Canada(TSB), Canadian National Railways Ltd.(CN), Transport Canada, and VIA Rail all repeatedly call the 3 dead youths, Dylan Ford, Mitchell Bracken-Guenet, and Ricardo Conesa, “trespassers.”

The various event reports place blame for the incident almost instantly upon the dead teens and nothing in the documents suggest any responsibility for the deaths be placed on the shoulders of VIA Rail. The lack of questioning in the documents by various investigators is remarkable.

A CN Incident Report written at 4:58 A.M, Oct. 31—the morning of the incident—shows this clearly.

“P66831-30 proceeding eastward at 70 mph on south track at mile 4.7 Montréal sub(subdivision), hit 3 trespassers…

View original post 356 more words

I am reposting my series on The Turcot Train Tragedy as it approaches the second anniversary of that horrible event. Alas, with no government accountability. Installment 14.

Lokshtanov

By Jack Locke

Newly disclosed documents shed more light on the Turcot Train Tragedy and the VIA Rail train that hit three young men in Montreal at 3 A.M., Oct. 31, 2010. Not very pleasant light.

The bundle of documents reveal the Transportation Safety Board of Canada(TSB), Canadian National Railways Ltd.(CN), Transport Canada, and VIA Rail all repeatedly call the 3 dead youths, Dylan Ford, Mitchell Bracken-Guenet, and Ricardo Conesa, “trespassers.”

The various event reports place blame for the incident almost instantly upon the dead teens and nothing in the documents suggest any responsibility for the deaths be placed on the shoulders of VIA Rail. The lack of questioning in the documents by various investigators is remarkable.

A CN Incident Report written at 4:58 A.M, Oct. 31—the morning of the incident—shows this clearly.

“P66831-30 proceeding eastward at 70 mph on south track at mile 4.7 Montréal sub(subdivision), hit 3 trespassers…

View original post 356 more words

I am reposting my series on The Turcot Train Tragedy as it approaches the second anniversary of that horrible event. Alas, with no government accountability. Installment 14.

Lokshtanov

By Jack Locke

Newly disclosed documents shed more light on the Turcot Train Tragedy and the VIA Rail train that hit three young men in Montreal at 3 A.M., Oct. 31, 2010. Not very pleasant light.

The bundle of documents reveal the Transportation Safety Board of Canada(TSB), Canadian National Railways Ltd.(CN), Transport Canada, and VIA Rail all repeatedly call the 3 dead youths, Dylan Ford, Mitchell Bracken-Guenet, and Ricardo Conesa, “trespassers.”

The various event reports place blame for the incident almost instantly upon the dead teens and nothing in the documents suggest any responsibility for the deaths be placed on the shoulders of VIA Rail. The lack of questioning in the documents by various investigators is remarkable.

A CN Incident Report written at 4:58 A.M, Oct. 31—the morning of the incident—shows this clearly.

“P66831-30 proceeding eastward at 70 mph on south track at mile 4.7 Montréal sub(subdivision), hit 3 trespassers…

View original post 356 more words

I am reposting my series on The Turcot Train Tragedy as it approaches the second anniversary of that horrible event. Alas, with no government accountability. Installment 13. *(The first installment 11 was removed on compassionate grounds.)

Lokshtanov

by Jack Locke

1. The train that killed Dylan Ford, Mitchell Bracken-Guenet, and Ricardo Conesa on Oct. 31, 2010 was travelling at a high speed through the Turcot area of Montreal, estimated at 113 kilometres per hour(70 mph);

2. The five young men who were on, or near, the track received no warning of the train’s approach;

3. The engineer of a train driving at night with a headlamp and ditch lights should be able to see a man 800 feet ahead of the train. Travelling at 70 mph, this should have given the VIA engineer 8 seconds visual warning prior to impact;

4. The Montreal Police Service will not confirm whether or not the engineer of the train was tested for drugs or alcohol;

5. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada notes that 427 persons have been struck and killed by trains in the past five…

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I am reposting my series on The Turcot Train Tragedy as it approaches the second anniversary of that horrible event. Alas, with no government accountability. Installment 11.

Lokshtanov

by Jack Locke

I don’t know how I am going to tell Dylan Ford’s mother.

Dylan was one of three boys killed by a VIA Rail train on Oct. 31, 2010 in Montreal.

My 12-part investigation has looked into many aspects of rail safety. I’ve spoken to a person who was aboard that fateful train. I’ve been in touch with a young man  who was inches from being killed himself. And I have been in regular communication with Jamie, Dylan’s mother.

Now, I must tell Jamie that I cannot answer why her son was killed because VIA Rail, a federal crown corporation, subject to the Access to Information Act, will not disclose information that is in their possession.

In the email below is VIA’s explanation. I am truly sorry Jamie and Dylan, Mitch and Ricardo.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –…

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I am reposting my series on The Turcot Train Tragedy as it approaches the second anniversary of that horrible event. Alas, with no government accountability. Installment 10 is amongst the posts best written.

Lokshtanov

In installment 10 of the investigation into the Turcot Train Tragedy, I have asked friend Rev. Jan Jorgensen for some advice on dealing with the trauma. Here’s what she writes:

Dear Jack,

I think one of the most healing things that can be done for people who have suffered trauma is to have a compassionate person simply listen to them tell their story. It probably won’t be coherent, most likely it will be painful to speak and painful to listen to — but part of the healing comes from speaking and being heard –
no platitudes, no judgment, just the kind of listening that makes the person feel like they are seen and heard and cared about.

People in fields that deal with loss and trauma may have developed coping stratagems
(Some grief counselors speak of “sterbs” “short term emotional release behaviours”… these could be drinking, running, watching intense movies…

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I am reposting my series on The Turcot Train Tragedy as it approaches the second anniversary of that horrible event. Alas, with no government accountability. Installment 9.

Lokshtanov

In installment 9 of The Turcot Train Tragedy, the investigation asks whether alcohol played a role in the deaths of three teenagers killed by a VIA Rail train on Oct. 31, 2010 in the Turcot area of Montreal?

by Jack Locke

“Did the SPVM conduct drug and alcohol tests on the drivers of the VIA Rail train involved in the deaths of three young men on Oct. 31?” I asked Montreal Police Service media officer Raphael Bergeron by email.

It was not a pleasant question for me to ask. Maybe, not a question Bergeron was permitted to answer?

First, if the police did not fully determine the locomotive engineer’s status in relation to these substances, it would appear to me to be an improper investigation. Similarly, by not testing the engineer, the engineer may not gain the benefit from having proof of his state at the time of the incident.

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