Man Radios for Help in Stealing Train

[illflem]

DALLAS (Reuters) - A Texas man who wanted to go "wherever the train takes me" was arrested when a stubborn brake stymied his efforts to steal a freight train and he radioed for help, officials said on Thursday.



Sheriff Bob Alford of Johnson County, about 45 miles (72 km) southwest of Dallas, said 22-year-old Kristopher Huie got caught because he used the train's radio to ask dispatchers how to release the brake.



Huie clambered aboard the parked Union Pacific Corp freight on Wednesday evening and managed to start the engines. But then he had trouble releasing a brake, and radioed Union Pacific dispatchers for help.



A passing conductor and engineer, alerted by the radio call, overpowered Huie and held him for the sheriff.



"I asked him what he wanted to do with the train and he said he wanted to visit his family and friends," Alford told Reuters. "I asked him where he was going and he said, 'Wherever the train takes me. "'



"That was a full freight train. It could have been a disaster if he'd been able to move it," the sheriff said. It was not immediately clear how many rail cars were on the train.



Huie was jailed and faced a felony charge of theft over $200,000.

 

[KatDiesel]

He actually got the brakes released on the engines too. He couldn't figure out how to release the brakes on the "train" itself.



UP Engineer Craig Smith and Conductor Kenneth Corley were the two that subdued him.



The idling train of four locomotives and 107 cars had been headed from Brownwood to Fort Worth but was parked waiting for a new crew. It was an empty grain train Aug. 29 on a siding in Egan, Texas, about 45 miles southwest of Dallas.



Lil more info

 

[DRR-24V]

Nothing is safe anymore. ! A few years ago we had a guy steal a TANK in SoCal. One of our officers canceled his tank drivers license at the scene. It was kind of a permanent suspension.

 

[jandtjil]

Dead or alive

At some point persons who exhibit gross negligence for public safety, should be tagged, a bounty if you will.

Save the tax-payers, the justice system and those who uphold the law (and morality) a great deal of time, money, and grief.



IMO

JJ

 

[DieselDoghouse]

What about a new reality TV show that LETS these people explore their gross disregard for public safety - against each other?? Its revenue generating entertainment, saves the CJ system money, and its more humane than the roman Coliseum since these folks aren't slaves, they're criminals! By the way saw 'tank guy' on John Walls show - good thing he' lost his license' he did a sh*tty job of parallel parking that thing