65 year-old Diabetic Man Forced off Amtrak Train in middle of Forest

[BroncoBuff]

Elderly diabetic man forced off Amtrak train
(Phoenix) - The search is on for an elderly man who was kicked off an Amtrak train in the middle of an Arizona forest. The conductor thought the man was drunk but as it turns out, he was wrong.

“He was let off in the middle of a national forest which is about 800,000 acres of beautiful pine trees”, says Lt. Mike Graham of Williams Police Department.

Williams’s police say Amtrak told dispatchers 65-year old Roosevelt Sims was drunk and being unruly Sunday night.

“They thought he was drunk, intoxicated but actually he's a diabetic and we just found this out.”, said Brian Mason, the missing man's brother.

A passenger on the Amtrak train, Sims was headed from St. Louis to Los Angeles. The conductor stopped the train and made the St. Louis man get off at a railroad crossing, 5-miles outside of Williams and 2-miles from any road.

“You don't put anyone off in an area like that”, said Lt. Graham.

That's what Williams police told CBS 5 in a phone interview. “There's no water up here, we're at almost 8-thousand feet”, said Lt. Graham

Now, Sims is a missing person. “Just want to find him, I'm not mad at anybody”, says Brian.

The family says he tried to call them that night but was incoherent. When police arrived at the crossing he ran into the woods leaving his bag and all his medication.

We learned cell phone records indicate his phone was used in Litchfield Park, 180-miles from Williams. Everyone is hoping the 65-year-old is still alive. Roosevelt’s brother says, “I want to find of where he's at, make sure he's okay.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are that there's no way he's out there is those woods,” adds Lt. Graham.

They found him later, wandering in the forest. What could possibly make an Amtrak conductor do such a thing? The kicker: The man is black. Altogether: "Oh."

[Bronx33]

F-in stupid move by the amtrak crew i see a lawsuit.

[BroncoBuff]

Deputies Find Diabetic Man Kicked Off Train

Passenger Barefoot, Dehydrated, Disoriented, Deputies Say


POSTED: 9:32 am EDT June 29, 2007
UPDATED: 11:19 am EDT June 29, 2007

<!--startindex-->WILLIAMS, Ariz. -- A 65-year-old St. Louis man who went missing Sunday night after Amtrak personnel, mistaking his diabetic shock for drunk and disorderly behavior, kicked him off a train in the middle of a national forest, has been found two miles from where he was dropped off, according to police in Williams.

Police said Roosevelt Sims, a factory worker who had just retired last week, was discovered Thursday night walking along the railroad tracks barefoot by Coconino County sheriff's deputies.

Deputies said he was dehydrated and disoriented. He was rushed to a Flagstaff hospital for emergency treatment, deputies said. Sims headed to Los Angeles but was asked to leave the train shortly before 10 p.m. Sunday at a railroad crossing five miles outside Williams.

Amtrak personnel told police dispatchers that Sims was drunk and unruly.

The Sims family said Sims is diabetic and was going into shock.

"He was let off in the middle of a national forest, which is about 800,000 acres of beautiful pine trees," Lt. Mike Graham said.
Police said there is no train station or running water at the crossing, which is about two miles from the nearest road, at an elevation of about 8,000 feet.

Amtrak, in a statement released late Thursday, said it followed company policy. "The conductor and the passenger waited on the platform with the passenger's luggage," the statement said. "Upon arrival of authorities, the passenger fled into nearby woods."

When officers arrived at the crossing, police said, they found Sims had left his luggage and medication behind. Sims' brother, Brian Mason, said his family tried to call Sims on his cell phone that night, but he was incoherent. Cell phone records show that Sims' phone was last used in Litchfield Park, Ariz., 180 miles from Williams. Williams police told Phoenix television station KPHO that Amtrak has used the abandoned crossing as a drop-off site in the past. Graham said that whether drunk or not, no one should be dropped off there.

"You don't put anyone off in an area like that," Graham said.<!--stopindex-->

[Dukes]

Under no circumstances should anyone every be forced off a train in the middle of nowhere

[Popps]

Yikes.

[baja]

That gives new meaning to "Last call".

[Bronx33]

I wonder where they drop the real drunks off at?

[anthonypacino]

Sounds like Amtrak might be changing their name to "Sims Railways" pretty soon.

[Los Broncos]

Not a good idea, next thing we will hear is the condutor got a raise.

[BroncoBuff]

I don't care what the guy did, you don't just boot him off in the middle of nowhere. And if he really did do something wrong, you radio ahead for the police to be waiting at the next stop. I have no experience in the train business, but I feel pretty strongly that's probably the policy.

And I'm thinking his race prolly had something to do with it too ... no proof of course, just a guess.

.

[v2micca]

Yeah, when I first read this article I was pretty outraged too. You don't just dump a guy in the middle of no where. But the follow-up article has this statement that is making me wonder.

Amtrak, in a statement released late Thursday, said it followed company policy. "The conductor and the passenger waited on the platform with the passenger's luggage," the statement said. "Upon arrival of authorities, the passenger fled into nearby woods."

So, did they just dump this guy and his luggage in the middle of no where and leave as the initial article indicates? Or was he being transferred to police authority when he fled into the woods and went missing? I mean, those are two completely different stories and I would like to know which one is the truth.

[BroncoBuff]

Amtrak, in a statement released late Thursday, said it followed company policy. "The conductor and the passenger waited on the platform with the passenger's luggage," the statement said. "Upon arrival of authorities, the passenger fled into nearby woods."

So, did they just dump this guy and his luggage in the middle of no where and leave as the initial article indicates? Or was he being transferred to police authority when he fled into the woods and went missing? I mean, those are two completely different stories and I would like to know which one is the truth.

Thanks newb, I missed that part. You're right, it appears the guy might've run off on his own.

[Dr.5280]

I would not want to be that conductor having to wait with a delusional passenger miles from any real help if he should need it. Give the guy a raise and let him pack some heat.

[cutthemdown]

Amtrak, in a statement released late Thursday, said it followed company policy. "The conductor and the passenger waited on the platform with the passenger's luggage," the statement said. "Upon arrival of authorities, the passenger fled into nearby woods."

When officers arrived at the crossing, police said, they found Sims had left his luggage and medication behind. Sims' brother, Brian Mason, said his family tried to call Sims on his cell phone that night, but he was incoherent. Cell phone records show that Sims' phone was last used in Litchfield Park, Ariz., 180 miles from Williams. Williams police told Phoenix television station KPHO that Amtrak has used the abandoned crossing as a drop-off site in the past. Graham said that whether drunk or not, no one should be dropped off there.

"You don't put anyone off in an area like that," Graham said.

It's not Amtraks fault the dude ran. They didn't just dump him off and then leave him out there. They waited for him to be picked up but the dude ran off into the woods.