Metrolink Spokeswoman Tyrrell Resigns in Wake of Criticism over Handling of Accident

By Aaron Poehler

Published on September 16, 2008

The spokeswoman for rail agency Metrolink resigned yesterday after Metrolink board members said statements she made indicating the agency was responsible for Friday's commuter train crash which killed 26 people were premature.

Metrolink Board Chair Ron Roberts was quoted on Sunday as saying spokeswoman Denise Tyrrell's statements that a Metrolink engineer's failure to heed a red warning signal caused Friday's collision in Los Angeles's Chatsworth neighborhood between a Metrolink commuter train and a Union Pacific freight train had not been authorized by the Board, saying the Board intended to defer to the judgment of the National Transportation Safety Board as to the causes of the accident.

Ms. Tyrell said that she resigned in response to the Board's statements and that her statements taking responsibility for the crash upon Metrolink had been authorized in advance by Metrolink's chief executive, David Solow. She also affirmed that she believed her statements were completely accurate and that she believed that by taking responsibility for the crash she did the right thing, regardless of the political fallout.

The September 12 collision between Metrolink 111 and a Union Pacific freight train killed 26 and injured 138. NTSB experts say they have confirmed that the Metrolink engineer failed to heed the red warning light but also want to review cellphone records to determine if he may have been text messaging at the time of the crash.

 

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