Crash engineer invited teens to ride along

LOS ANGELES, March 1 (UPI) -- The engineer at the controls during a deadly commuter train crash in Los Angeles appears to have allowed teenagers to ride with him, federal investigators say.

The engineer, Robert Sanchez, was one of the 25 people killed when his train struck a freight train Sept. 12. Investigators say he passed a red signal.

A source involved in the investigation told the Los Angeles Times that cell phone records show Sanchez invited teenage train buffs to ride with him on trains carrying passengers and they did so. Ride-alongs are a violation of safety rules because they distract the engineer.

There is no evidence that anyone was with Sanchez in the cab at the time of the crash. Investigators have considered whether Sanchez was tired after working several long split shifts that week and whether he was distracted by sending text messages while operating the train.

The crash at the beginning of the evening rush hour also left 135 people injured, some of them seriously.