BART Board passes resolutions honoring workers in fatal accident

BART General Manager Grace Crunican issued the following statement October 24, 2013:

On October 24, 2013, the BART Board of Directors unanimously passed resolutions honoring deceased BART employee Christopher Sheppard and deceased BART contractor Laurence E. Daniels, P.E. 

The National Transportation Safety Board is actively investigating all aspects of the October 19, 2013 tragedy. BART is cooperating fully with the investigation and is awaiting the findings and recommendations of the NTSB. Until all the facts are known, it’s not appropriate for BART to comment on the events of October 19 except to say that BART will take whatever steps are necessary in order to prevent future tragedies.

 BART today moved to make permanent a temporary moratorium on a procedure known as “simple approval” in which trackside workers are responsible for their own safety. BART will solely use the more restrictive “work orders” procedures that require trains to stop or slow to 25 mph in areas where trackside workers may be present. BART may also consider an outside investigation of the events of October 19.