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| Stephen Christopher at the helm of the Cleveland Park train. He was 2 years old at the time. |
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| The train. |
According to the Associated Press, the person who was supposed to have inspected the train last week falsified a report.
Agency says SC train ride inspector faked report
MEG KINNARD,Associated Press
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A state inspector falsified a safety report and admitted he never tested a children's train ride that derailed over the weekend, killing a 6-year-old boy and injuring dozens of others, officials said Monday.
Meanwhile, new details of the moments before the crash emerged, with witnesses saying it felt like the small train was increasing its speed just before it went off the tracks near a bridge. Officials have not said what caused the train to derail Saturday at Cleveland Park in Spartanburg, the northwestern part of the state. It was the train's first day of operation for the spring season.
Six-year-old Benji Easler died in the wreck, and his parents and siblings were also injured, along with 25 other children and adults onboard. The injuries ranged from bumps and bruises to broken bones. Some of the children were taken away on stretchers.
Many of those onboard the train were members of Corinth Baptist Church, where Easler's father is pastor. A youth minister who is acting as spokesman for the crash victims said church members told him they felt the small train speeding up.
"All of my people said the train got faster and faster," the Rev. Nathan Ellis said. "They felt like it was increasing in speed and something was wrong."
The ride was supposedly tested last Wednesday by state inspector Donnie Carrigan, but he came forward after the accident to admit falsifying a report in which he marked the train's operation at proper speed as "satisfactory," according to Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation chief Catherine Templeton.
Carrigan, a 20-year agency employee who has been fired, said he didn't test the ride March 16 because its battery was dead, making it inoperable, according to Templeton.
"Unfortunately the inspector did not complete his job," Templeton said.
Templeton also said Carrigan's national certification had lapsed, and he would have been required to attend a retraining session in late April with six other LLR employees.
As soon as agency officials learned of the crash, Templeton said Carrigan came forward and admitted he had filed a complete report but had not done a thorough inspection.
"We are very sorry for the tragedy," Templeton said. "I don't have any reason to doubt this man's character."
A working phone listing for Carrigan could not immediately be found.
The Easlers are both natives of Spartanburg and are still setting funeral arrangements for Benji.
"They're just grieving the loss of their son," Ellis said. "They're healing from their injuries. The physical wounds will heal."
Ellis said church members were praying for everyone involved.
"It doesn't matter what happened. The details of what happened are not going to change the outcome and the results we're facing now," Ellis said. "Benji's life is going to change other people's lives. ... I hope lessons can be learned, but we don't hold any ill feelings or ill will toward any of those people."
Earlier Monday, hospital officials said the train's driver had been released from a hospital.
Also at the news conference, Gov. Nikki Haley pledged her support for the crash investigation, which is being handled by the Spartanburg Public Safety Department and the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Public Safety Capt. Art Littlejohn said authorities were still reviewing witness statements and 911 calls.
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Associated Press writer Seanna Adcox contributed to this report.
Some thoughts. My son has had wonderful fun on this train. I don't think the inspector caused this tragedy, but he might have prevented it.
I don't want this tragedy to take away something that brings joy to children. Heck, I rode on it and had a good time.
But I also don't know if I can take my son to the park again. Not soon.
My heart goes out to the families.
Meanwhile, new details of the moments before the crash emerged, with witnesses saying it felt like the small train was increasing its speed just before it went off the tracks near a bridge. Officials have not said what caused the train to derail Saturday at Cleveland Park in Spartanburg, the northwestern part of the state. It was the train's first day of operation for the spring season.
Six-year-old Benji Easler died in the wreck, and his parents and siblings were also injured, along with 25 other children and adults onboard. The injuries ranged from bumps and bruises to broken bones. Some of the children were taken away on stretchers.
Many of those onboard the train were members of Corinth Baptist Church, where Easler's father is pastor. A youth minister who is acting as spokesman for the crash victims said church members told him they felt the small train speeding up.
"All of my people said the train got faster and faster," the Rev. Nathan Ellis said. "They felt like it was increasing in speed and something was wrong."
The ride was supposedly tested last Wednesday by state inspector Donnie Carrigan, but he came forward after the accident to admit falsifying a report in which he marked the train's operation at proper speed as "satisfactory," according to Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation chief Catherine Templeton.
Carrigan, a 20-year agency employee who has been fired, said he didn't test the ride March 16 because its battery was dead, making it inoperable, according to Templeton.
"Unfortunately the inspector did not complete his job," Templeton said.
Templeton also said Carrigan's national certification had lapsed, and he would have been required to attend a retraining session in late April with six other LLR employees.
As soon as agency officials learned of the crash, Templeton said Carrigan came forward and admitted he had filed a complete report but had not done a thorough inspection.
"We are very sorry for the tragedy," Templeton said. "I don't have any reason to doubt this man's character."
A working phone listing for Carrigan could not immediately be found.
The Easlers are both natives of Spartanburg and are still setting funeral arrangements for Benji.
"They're just grieving the loss of their son," Ellis said. "They're healing from their injuries. The physical wounds will heal."
Ellis said church members were praying for everyone involved.
"It doesn't matter what happened. The details of what happened are not going to change the outcome and the results we're facing now," Ellis said. "Benji's life is going to change other people's lives. ... I hope lessons can be learned, but we don't hold any ill feelings or ill will toward any of those people."
Earlier Monday, hospital officials said the train's driver had been released from a hospital.
Also at the news conference, Gov. Nikki Haley pledged her support for the crash investigation, which is being handled by the Spartanburg Public Safety Department and the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Public Safety Capt. Art Littlejohn said authorities were still reviewing witness statements and 911 calls.
___
Associated Press writer Seanna Adcox contributed to this report.
Some thoughts. My son has had wonderful fun on this train. I don't think the inspector caused this tragedy, but he might have prevented it.
I don't want this tragedy to take away something that brings joy to children. Heck, I rode on it and had a good time.
But I also don't know if I can take my son to the park again. Not soon.
My heart goes out to the families.
