Diabetic in Shock Kicked Off Amtrak Train in Wilderness

Collarspace Discussion Forums

Home Login Search

Diabetic in Shock Kicked Off Amtrak Train in Wilderness

View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest

All Forums >> [Casual Banter] >> Off the Grid >> Diabetic in Shock Kicked Off Amtrak Train in Wilderness

Page: [1]

Message

<< Older Topic Newer Topic >>

Diabetic in Shock Kicked Off Amtrak Train in Wilderness - 6/29/2007 9:54:14 PM

selfbnd411

Posts: 598
Joined: 7/23/2005
Status: offline

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

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.

http://www.wpxi.com/news/13593800/detail.html

Profile

Post #: 1

RE: Diabetic in Shock Kicked Off Amtrak Train in Wilder... - 6/29/2007 10:18:01 PM

winterlight

Posts: 1319
Joined: 2/18/2006
Status: offline

how cruel and inhumane is that? I would have asked him if he was diabetic...but that is me...

They ought to be sued for that..in my opinion and i am not a sue person...but that just goes beyond the pale..

(in reply to selfbnd411)

Profile

Post #: 2

RE: Diabetic in Shock Kicked Off Amtrak Train in Wilder... - 6/29/2007 10:27:14 PM

selfbnd411

Posts: 598
Joined: 7/23/2005
Status: offline

I totally agree...even if we give the train's crew the benefit of the doubt that he seemed drunk rather than in shock, there's no reason they couldn't have waited an extra 5 minutes and dropped him off in Williams.

(in reply to winterlight)

Profile

Post #: 3

RE: Diabetic in Shock Kicked Off Amtrak Train in Wilder... - 6/30/2007 4:27:52 AM

SeeksOnlyOne

Posts: 2012
Joined: 5/14/2007
Status: offline

ugh this brought back a memory for me........we had a new child start at the school i was working at years ago..........he would sit, almost lethargic, or be such a problem to his teacher by acting up, she would send him to the office.

realize his parents had come to register him, and just dropped him at the door the next day.

after 2 days, the counselor and the nurse sat down with him asking pointed questions.....it turned out this child was severely diabetic, the behaviors were due to his blood sugar skyrocketing or falling straight to the bottom.

and his parents had failed to even MENTION this, or even note it on his registration paperwork.

with the help of social workers, we were able to get him meds, and he was required to go get his meds and blood sugar tested before lunch every day. i had to choose what he was allowed to eat based on his blood sugar reading.

i know some diabetics wear bracelets or necklaces-i hope all folks that deal with strangers daily can be taught to look for the signs of this disease.........this is scary stuff.

_____________________________

it aint no good til it hurts just a little bit....jimmy somerville

in those moments of solitude, does everyone sometimes think they are insane? or is it just me?

(in reply to selfbnd411)

Profile

Post #: 4

RE: Diabetic in Shock Kicked Off Amtrak Train in Wilder... - 6/30/2007 5:03:27 AM

Eldritchdancer

Posts: 101
Joined: 12/26/2006
Status: offline

Seeks

The child should have been removed from the home for his own protection. I'm a father and the behavior listed is appalling and abhorrent to me. Talk about gross neglect and a severe lack of parenting skills. *shudders*

Master Darkmoon

(in reply to SeeksOnlyOne)

Profile

Post #: 5

RE: Diabetic in Shock Kicked Off Amtrak Train in Wilder... - 6/30/2007 5:40:47 AM

SeeksOnlyOne

Posts: 2012
Joined: 5/14/2007
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Eldritchdancer

Seeks

The child should have been removed from the home for his own protection. I'm a father and the behavior listed is appalling and abhorrent to me. Talk about gross neglect and a severe lack of parenting skills. *shudders*

Master Darkmoon

dfacs became actively involved in watching that family-as i left for manager training shortly after he came to my school, i have no idea how it turned out. and i agree***shudders***

_____________________________

it aint no good til it hurts just a little bit....jimmy somerville

in those moments of solitude, does everyone sometimes think they are insane? or is it just me?

(in reply to Eldritchdancer)

Profile

Post #: 6

RE: Diabetic in Shock Kicked Off Amtrak Train in Wilder... - 6/30/2007 11:52:59 AM

Raechard

Posts: 3513
Joined: 3/10/2007
From: S.E. London U.K.
Status: offline

It’s a common occurrence unfortunately. More needs to be done to increase public awareness.

_____________________________

えへまにんへえや
Nobody wants to listen to the same song over and over again!

(in reply to SeeksOnlyOne)

Profile

Post #: 7

RE: Diabetic in Shock Kicked Off Amtrak Train in Wilder... - 6/30/2007 12:22:30 PM

Lordandmaster

Posts: 10943
Joined: 6/22/2004
Status: offline

Heh...nice to know that even government agencies have picked up on the typical corporate bullshit line.

quote:

ORIGINAL: selfbnd411

Amtrak, in a statement released late Thursday, said it followed company policy.

(in reply to selfbnd411)

Profile

Post #: 8

RE: Diabetic in Shock Kicked Off Amtrak Train in Wilder... - 6/30/2007 3:23:33 PM

luckydog1

Posts: 2736
Joined: 1/16/2006
Status: offline

"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."

This is a little unclear and at odds with the premise that he was "dropped off in the woods". It seems to be saying he was never left anywhere, that he "fled" his ride into town. The sheriff seems to be making a bit of a CYA statement here, it sounds like his deputies were unable to retrieve a 65 year old diabetic ex factory worker(or perhaps they did not even try). It is very sad that a 65 year old man who (apperantly) can't manage his diabetes was travelling alone, and that no one else realised what was going on. But it does seem to make sense to get a dispurptive passenger off the train ASAP and to do it in a quiet place makes more sense than bringing him to town. What a horrible tragedy all around. I do not think Amtrak should be sued for a passenger fleeing into the woods.

(in reply to Lordandmaster)

Profile

Post #: 9

RE: Diabetic in Shock Kicked Off Amtrak Train in Wilder... - 6/30/2007 3:35:19 PM

mnottertail

Posts: 60698
Joined: 11/3/2004
Status: offline

Ja, don't stop me, I am running away........what a snorer that would have made on cops. Amtrak and the County should be sued the shit out of.

Bad boys bad boys
Whatcha gonna do
Whatcha gonna do
when they shuffle from you

< Message edited by mnottertail -- 6/30/2007 3:37:29 PM >

_____________________________

Have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two? Judges 5:30

(in reply to luckydog1)

Profile

Post #: 10

RE: Diabetic in Shock Kicked Off Amtrak Train in Wilder... - 6/30/2007 5:08:47 PM

instynctive

Posts: 2726
Status: offline

HAHAHAHAHAHA

(in reply to mnottertail)

Profile

Post #: 11

RE: Diabetic in Shock Kicked Off Amtrak Train in Wilder... - 6/30/2007 6:03:46 PM

LeMis

Posts: 9255
Joined: 9/24/2005
From: Florida
Status: offline

That is awful,

I keep imagining "what if",
what IF that was my brother or father or mother... omg....
aren't there medical personnel aboard who could have noticed the symtoms and intervened?

_____________________________

Make a mental note . . . oh, I see you're out of paper!
Make somebody happy. Mind your own business.

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt. — Lincoln

(in reply to instynctive)

Profile

Post #: 12

RE: Diabetic in Shock Kicked Off Amtrak Train in Wilder... - 7/1/2007 5:40:07 AM

Alumbrado

Posts: 5560
Status: offline

quote:

....aren't there medical personnel aboard who could have noticed the symtoms and intervened?

That would be 'The Love Boat', not Amtrak.

(in reply to LeMis)

Profile

Post #: 13

RE: Diabetic in Shock Kicked Off Amtrak Train in Wilder... - 7/1/2007 9:23:10 AM

philosophy

Posts: 5284
Joined: 2/15/2004
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Alumbrado

quote:

....aren't there medical personnel aboard who could have noticed the symtoms and intervened?

That would be 'The Love Boat', not Amtrak.

...or maybe just more people need to know first aid.......

(in reply to Alumbrado)

Profile

Post #: 14