ABC News reports that Metrolink train engineer Robert Sanchez of the deadly crash in California sent 29 text messages that day. The last message was sent 22 seconds before the crash. Apparently it read: "OMG! Freight train!" NTSB has not released the other 28 messages.
Update: The crux of the problem is that the engineer missed a light warneing of the collision (or that’s the assumption). Our reaction will be to treat the symptom and ban cell phones which in itself may not be bad but the problem is the engineer did not stop the train presumably because he did not see the signal for whatever reason. We should be treating the problem by installing better warning systems and automated controls that could stop the train without human interaction, after all, the engineer could have been reading a book, daydreaming, sleeping, or slumped over the controls in a heart attack. I sure would like to see us become a society that responds to problems rather than reacts to symptoms.
