(The following story by Josh Kleinbaum of the News-Press and Leader appeared on the Los Angeles Times website on February 3.)
GLENDALE, Calif. — Residents, employees and officials will thank the heroes and remember the victims of last week’s deadly train crash at two ceremonies today.
First, at 9:30 a.m. at the Costco store where survivors gathered following the crash, Mayor Bob Yousefian and Los Angeles Mayor Jim Hahn will honor firefighters and Costco employees, the first people to respond to the Jan. 26 train derailment that killed 11 people and injured nearly 200.
The three-train crash occurred at 6:02 a.m. on Metrolink tracks next to Costco. Employees working the early shift rushed to the scene, pulling survivors out of the trains and carrying them to safety until firefighters arrived.
Police and firefighters used the Costco parking lot as a staging area for rescue efforts, and Costco employees are collecting money for families of victims at the store.
“People who put their lives on the line, especially the ones who are not being paid for it or trained for it, the government should recognize that,” Yousefian said. “Almost everyone I come across says we just want to tell those people they did a great job. This is a good way of conveying the public’s message to those people. They’re real heroes to me. They saved a lot of lives.”
Glendale city employees will also hold a 6 p.m. candlelight vigil at the Glendale Transportation Center in memory of the crash victims, including Liz Hill, who worked in the city’s finance department, and former city employee Scott McKeown.
Former Glendale resident Thomas Ormiston, a Metrolink conductor, also died in the crash.
“We had a meeting to talk about how we could honor them and remember them,” said Zizette Ayad, a senior administrative analyst for the city. “We thought the train station would be the most appropriate place. That’s where Scott loved to be at, and Liz took the train every day.
“It’s to move on, and also to grieve. Everybody’s kind of been hush-hush. It’s a sad thing, and nobody’s been talking about it much.”
Although Ayad expects many city employees at the vigil, she said it is open to the public in memory of all 11 victims.
Police believe the crash began after a suicidal man, Juan Manuel Alvarez, parked his car on the tracks. A commuter train struck Alvarez’s Jeep Cherokee and then jackknifed into another commuter train and a parked freight train. Alvarez has been charged with 11 counts of murder.