Officials Investigate Runaway Light-Rail Train In Sacramento

(AP) - Sacramento Regional Transit officials say a light-rail train went out of control last week after a maintenance technician mistakenly disabled a safety feature on the unoccupied train, setting it in motion.

The Sacramento Bee reported Thursday that the runaway train traveled a mile-and-a-half in four minutes before briefly derailing, losing power and then stopping on its own. It hit speeds topping 40 mph while running through three active light-rail stations and several street crossings in north Sacramento.

RT officials say there were no reported close calls with waiting passengers and no injuries in the incident Feb. 17 just before 5 p.m. They say the automatic crossing arms, bells and flashing lights at intersections and stations worked properly.

Officials are calling the incident serious, and have engaged with state and federal rail safety officials in an investigation.