Western Railroad Discussion > Electrical arc burns suspected tagger

In Santa Fe, not on a Santa Fe RR property, but of interest to RR graffiti critics and patrons.

"Tagger clinging to life with burns over 80 percent of body
By Jason Auslander
The [Santa Fe] New Mexican [subscription]
The 18-year-old Santa Fe man critically injured while spray-painting graffiti on an electrical substation might not sur­vive, a family member said Thursday.
Aaron Vigil, who was being treated Thursday at the Arizona Burn Center in Phoenix, was knocked partly out of his clothes Wednesday when 115,000 volts of electricity entered his body and possibly ignited the paint he was carrying, Deputy Police Chief Benjie Montaño said.
Vigil apparently had jumped a cement wall topped with a razor wire to get into the Public Service Company of New Mexico substation near Buckman Road on Santa Fe’s northwest side, city fire officials said.
Vigil suffered burns over 80 percent of his body and isn’t expected to pull through, said a woman who identified herself Thursday as his aunt but refused to give her name. Vigil initially was airlifted to University Hospital in Albu­querque but was later flown to Phoenix, where the aunt spoke to a reporter by phone.
The woman said the family didn’t want to talk to the news media yet and was focusing its efforts on Vigil.
“What I can tell you is he is ... the most gentlest person you can ever imagine,” she said.
“Right now he’s battling. We’re asking for prayers now.”
Police were alerted to the incident about 4:30 p.m. when Vigil called 911 from his cell phone, Assistant Fire Chief Ted Bolleter said Wednesday.
Vigil identified himself during that phone call, Montaño said Thursday.
However, police believe someone probably was with Vigil at the time he received the electrical jolt, and it’s pos­sible someone else made the 911 call.
“Right now we’re looking at the possibility that he was not alone,” Montaño said.
Vigil also would have had a hard time making it over the 20-foot-high wall alone, he said.
“Everybody involved didn’t think he could do it by himself,” Montaño said.
When officers arrived at the substation, they found Vigil with his shirt off, his shoes and socks still on, much of the right side of his jeans burned off and his skin discolored, Montaño said.
He didn’t know whether Vigil was conscious when officers and other emergency personnel arrived.
Pictures taken at the substa­tion showed a scorched can of spray paint and a pair of burned and bloody jeans with much of the right pants leg missing.
Police have no immedi­ate plans to file any criminal charges against Vigil, Montaño said.
“If he makes it,” he said, “we’ll forward the report to the (Dis­trict Attorney’s) Office.”
Ben R. Luján, chairman of the state Public Regulation Commission, said at a meeting Thursday that the commission needs to make sure that facili­ties like the electrical substation where Vigil burned himself are secure. The commission oversees the state’s utility com­panies.
Vigil had no business being in the substation, Luján said, but companies must do everything possible to prevent incidents like this one from happening again.
The substation supplies power to 5,800 customers and the incident caused a momen­tary outage, a utility company spokesman has said.
A stream of spray paint would be more than sufficient to con­duct electricity inside the sub­station, the spokesman has said."
http://www.enewmexican.com/

"Electrical arc burns suspected tagger
Source: AP
SANTA FE -- Police have released the identity of a man who was shocked and burned while spray-painting graffiti inside a Santa Fe electrical substation.
Aaron Vigil, 18, of Santa Fe suffered burns over 70 percent to 80 percent of his body Wednesday, according to Santa Fe police Sgt. Aric Wheeler.
Wheeler said Vigil is in critical condition at a burn treatment center in Phoenix.
No charges have been filed.
High-voltage wires carry about 115,000 volts into the substation, which redistributes electricity to 5,800 households.
Public Service Company of New Mexico spokesman Jeff Buell said a stream of spray paint would be more than sufficient to conduct electricity inside the substation.
Wheeler said the substation is protected by a barbed-wire fence and a concrete wall."
http://www.krqe.com/expanded.asp?ID=21468

Great. Now the family will probably get a lawyer and sue the utility for not having more security. A 20' high wall with razor wire just don't cut it nowadays. Another Darwin award winner.

Ron Evans
Golden Valley, AZ

"Vigil had no business being in the substation, Luján said, but companies must do everything possible to prevent incidents like this one from happening again."

This is my vote for most idiotic statement of the year. It's almost impossible to stop a determined person(s) from doing what they plan on doing if they are willing to risk their own life.

20' fence topped with razor wire isn't enough? The Danger signs (that aren't even mentioned) aren't enough?

This is nothing more than chlorine in the gene pool. I feel sorry for the family, but the man is an idiot and *depending on state law*, those who were with him *might* be charged with felony murder, then we can get rid of more idiots like him.

I don't about New Mexicao law, but in California it's possible.

cry me a river if he dies...

Scott Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I feel sorry for the family, but the man is
> an idiot and *depending on state law*, those who
> were with him *might* be charged with felony
> murder, then we can get rid of more idiots like
> him.

I agree. If companions who assisted him can be found, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Examples need to be made of them.

This stuff is not a joke. Not only is graffiti a slap in the face to the general public (not to mention property owners directly affected), occasionally its practitioners put themselves in harm's way and end up maimed or dead.

If the signs, a 20 foot fence, and razor wire aren't enough, I'd say a 115,000 volt shock is about the minimum you could use to prevent vandals like him from trespassing.

toledopatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Scott Wrote:
> I agree. If companions who assisted him can be
> found,

That’s easy they will be at the funeral and the big celebration party the next of kin will throw
after they win millions!

I doubt that but if family members do pursue legal action they'll probably be a settlement out of court to get them off the utilty's back.

There really is something wrong with the judicial system if people get rewarded for or benifit from someone else's stupidity.


parts545 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> toledopatch Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Scott Wrote:
> > I agree. If companions who assisted him can be
> > found,
>
> That’s easy they will be at the funeral and the
> big celebration party the next of kin will throw
> after they win millions!

Lurch_in_ABQ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ben R. Luján, chairman of the state Public
> Regulation Commission, said at a meeting Thursday
> that the commission needs to make sure that
> facili­ties like the electrical substation where
> Vigil burned himself are secure. The commission
> oversees the state’s utility com­panies.
> Vigil had no business being in the substation,
> Luján said, but companies must do everything
> possible to prevent incidents like this one from
> happening again.

I think Mr. Lujan needs a jolt to refocus his thinking. Short of gun towers, I can't imagine what else a utility company (or anyone else, for that matter) could do to prevent a determined idiot from entering a facility.
I wonder if he could read? I'm sure it was heavily placarded with high voltage warnings.
If he does make it, from the description of his burns at least he might not be able to pass on his genes. Given the severity of his burns, though, he'd probably be better off passing away.

"I think Mr. Lujan needs a jolt to refocus his thinking. Short of gun towers, I can't imagine what else a utility company (or anyone else, for that matter) could do to prevent a determined idiot from entering a facility. "


How about an electric fence?

BLS

poffcapt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "I think Mr. Lujan needs a jolt to refocus his
> thinking. Short of gun towers, I can't imagine
> what else a utility company (or anyone else, for
> that matter) could do to prevent a determined
> idiot from entering a facility. "
>
>
> How about an electric fence?
>
> BLS

Yeah, we use them on animals that are smarter than that idiot.

poffcapt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How about an electric fence?

Unfortunately, in today's society, that itself would be a liability lawsuit waiting to happen. All you'd need is some idiot with an overtaxed ticker touching it and dying.

Slightly off topic, but related to the inconvenience to the general public when someone engages in a foolish act. Several years ago in a community near San Jose, California an (unfortunate) male individual climbed over the fence into a sub-station yard and up into the framework supporting the 120 Kv lines into the substation. His intent was to dangle a thin conductor from his p***s into the electrical field at the input to one of the step-down transformers to ‘enhance’ his self-pleasure. Unfortunately, as the investigating authorities reported off the record, ‘when he came he went’.

As an independent contractor working out of his home, the 4-hour power outage cost me time and money, even though I felt sorry for the guy and his relatives. In this case the utility was held blameless for the incident even though a life was lost.

my sympathies to the taxpayers of the state of New Mexico who undoubtedly are picking up the tab to treat this piece of junk

If the taggers were to have brain surgery, they would have
to bend over....

<<<<<That’s easy they will be at the funeral and the big celebration party the next of kin will throw
after they win millions!>>>>>

I don't think that is going to happen. Juries are prone to 'sending messages' to corporate entities. and this case, in my view, isn't about corporate malfeasance. And don't forget the appellate process. Philip Morris has never paid a cent to any one over tobacco related injury. They have been sued for billions, but no one has ever collected.

mustraline Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------->
> I don't think that is going to happen. Juries are
> prone to 'sending messages' to corporate entities.
> and this case, in my view, isn't about corporate
> malfeasance. And don't forget the appellate
> process. Philip Morris has never paid a cent to
> any one over tobacco related injury. They have
> been sued for billions, but no one has ever
> collected.


Yeah, well, my girlfriend's former neighbors bought their expensive house in suburban Detroit with the proceeds of a big-money settlement they got from Detroit Edison because they let their kid wander around in their trailer park after a thunderstorm and he touched a downed power line. Philip Morris may have a don't-settle policy, but Detroit Edison ratepayers got to eat this bit of parental neglect.

Oh Goody goody!!!!

More Porsches' for the "parasites of society" ( legal eagles).

The dill will be nicely "micro-waved" with all the muscle tissue medium/well done!!!


Mike

Well, lawyer is not my profession, but I think your attitude is a little much. If someone drove drunk and smashed into your car, and you spent the next several months in the hospital, you probably would be calling the "parasites" to get your "justice" and awards. Or would you just say, "Oh, that's okay, I'll pay for it all myself?

Bob

No, the lawsuit will claim that the "DANGER" signs were only in English. Mr vigil can only read spanish.
THE DEATH OF COMMON SENSE

What can I say,
It's a cynical Friday!