Investigators Working to Solve 25-Year-Old Sabotage of Track That Led to Derailment of Amtrak’s Sunset Limited Passenger Train; $310,000 Reward Available

Michael Lum was a student at Arizona State University when he learned that a train had mysteriously derailed in rural Arizona on October 9, 1995.

“I woke up and saw it on the news, and I went to class and we talked about it,” Lum recalled.

Twenty-five years later, Lum, a special agent in the Federal Protective Service, is on an FBI task force working to find anyone responsible for the derailment that killed the train conductor and injured dozens more. No one has been arrested, but the FBI continues to investigate.

Amtrak’s Sunset Limited was traveling from El Paso to Los Angeles when, while crossing a bridge, it ran over an altered track in a rural area 70 miles outside of Phoenix. Around 1:35 a.m., the train slowed down as it crossed the track, but momentum and the train’s weight sent it careening into a ravine, Lum said.

The conductor was thrown from the train and died. Of the 258 passengers on the train, 12 had serious injuries, and about 100 had minor injuries.

“There were young children and elderly people on board. Some of the victims said this really ruined their lives—they had PTSD, serious injuries,” Lum said. “These victims were deeply affected.”

The crash site was so rural that investigators and rescuers had a challenging time even reaching the passengers. Makeshift roads were built to get rescuers in and out of the area. And in an era before cell phones and GPS were common, rescue teams formed convoys so they wouldn’t get lost trying to find the victims.

Investigators at the scene at the time found a note claiming responsibility and expressing anti-government sentiment. But investigators have not yet found those responsible.

“This was just six months after the Oklahoma City bombing, it was fresh on everyone’s minds. People were on edge,” Lum said.

The passage of 25 years has not dampened the investigators’ resolve to find the truth. The public regularly calls with tips.

“We’re reexamining evidence with new technology, and the public continues to provide leads that we’re tracking down,” he said.

Lum emphasized that the investigative team is committed to getting justice for the victims, especially the family of the conductor who lost his life.

“The crew and passengers were just innocent people going about their lives. They were minding their own business, sleeping in the middle of the night,” Lum said. “We want to make sure anyone responsible has to answer for this crime.”

A variety of vinegar flavors can dress your salad while helping to keep your glucose levels low.

(NAPS)—During November, National Diabetes Month, or at any time, there could be sweet news for the 29.1 million people the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates have diabetes.

According to Dr. Carol S. Johnston, professor and associate director of the Nutrition Program in the School of Nutrition and Health Promotion at Arizona State University, vinegar can be part of a diet strategy to manage blood glucose.

Why Vinegar

Here’s why: Eating foods that are high in starch, such as bread and rice, causes surges in blood glucose levels, Dr. Johnston explains. These high levels of blood glucose have been linked to higher or increased cardiovascular disease risk in healthy populations and can also increase complications among those with type 2 diabetes.

Consuming small amounts of vinegar—one to two tablespoons— before your meal, however, can reduce these high levels of glucose, she says.

In fact, for individuals with type 2 diabetes, studies have shown that consuming vinegar prior to meals on a daily basis can significantly reduce blood levels of A1c, a key indicator of average blood glucose concentrations.

In addition to consuming vinegar alone, consuming foods high in vinegar is an option. Vinegar is found in pickled products and salad dressings and can also be consumed before a meal on a salad.

Why it’s Important

Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. Most food you eat gets turned into glucose, or sugar, for your body to use for energy. The pancreas makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells. If you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes sugar to build up in your blood.

Diabetes can have serious health complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and lower-extremity amputations. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, but you don’t have to be in such statistics. The International Life Sciences Institute reports that “Several studies have demonstrated that vinegar can help reduce hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, hyperlipidemia and obesity.”

What else to do

In addition to adding vinegar to your diet, other helpful changes can include:

•Eat smaller portions. Learn what a serving size is for different foods and how many servings you need in a meal.

•Eat less fat. Choose fewer high-fat foods and use less fat for cooking.

•Exercise for at least 30 minutes at least five days a week.

•Follow your doctor’s advice about any health issues you experience.

Learn more

For more information on vinegar, including studies, recipes and more, visit www.versatilevinegar.org.