According to a July 19, AP report “The operator of a light-rail train that crashed [in San Francisco], injuring dozens of passengers as well as the operator, came under scrutiny on Sunday as federal investigators tried to figure out why he turned off the automatic controls moments before the accident. Ted Turpin, an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, said that the operator switched the controls from automatic to manual in a tunnel near the West Portal Station and that he never engaged the emergency brake. Had the operator kept the autopilot on, Mr. Turpin said, the train would have slowed down before arriving at the station and most likely not have careened into a parked train while going 23 miles per hour.”

Spinal Cord Injury Research Gives New Hope to Paralysis Victims
Researchers featured on 60 Minutes are developing groundbreaking spinal cord injury technology that is helping some paralyzed patients stand and walk again using only their thoughts. The story highlighted University at Buffalo graduate Marta Carsteanu-Dombi, whose remarkable recovery offers new hope for victims suffering catastrophic spinal cord injuries

