LOS ANGELES – The conductor aboard the commuter train that collided with a freight in Los Angeles said he warned a supervisor about the engineer's on-duty cell phone use months before the deadly wreck.
Robert Heldenbrand's attorney said Thursday his client shared his concerns because he didn't think it was safe to use the phone on the job.
Records show engineer Robert M. Sanchez sent texts on his phone seconds before the Sept. 12 collision that killed 25 people and injured 135.
Heldenbrand is the only surviving crew member.
Attorney John Gilbert said Heldenbrand told federal investigators he saw Sanchez using a cell phone during a station stop last summer. Gilbert said two days before the collision, a supervisor said he would address the problem.
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