Passenger Trains > Diabetic man lost on train trip(new facts alter story)

As expected, the initial news story implying that Amtrak just dumped the guy alone at a crossing was BS. Apparently what actually happened was the man and the conductor were waiting at the station platform for the police to show up, and when the squad car arrived the guy took off running into the woods. The man had just been diagnosed as diabetic the day before the train trip. Family speculates that perhaps he went into diabetic shock and didn't know how to handle it, but OTOH if he was just diagnosed wouldn't it be likely that the nurse or doctor had at least briefly gone over the risk of shock, what it is, how to recognize it, and how to deal with it? Or perhaps it was all a bit overwhelming and hard to take in at once?

Hearing such a life-changing diagnosis could be quite a mental shock, so it isn't inconceivable that he might actually have been drunk at the time the conductor came to that conclusion. Or maybe not. No way for any of us here to know for sure, so blaming the conductor and Amtrak may be a bad idea, or at a minimum premature. How about just leaving it as a sad story for now?

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http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/stories/KTVKLNews20070628_retired-guy.23d67705.html

Diabetic man lost on train trip west

05:14 PM Mountain Standard Time on Thursday, June 28, 2007

By Javier Soto / 3TV reporter

Roosevelt Sims, 65, had finally retired.

So for his first vacation ever, the steel mill worker hopped on an Amtrak train in St. Louis and headed to Los Angeles to visit his family.

He would only get as far as Williams, Ariz., when, according to an Amtrak spokesperson, the conductor determined Sims was intoxicated.

So she said it is standard procedure to drop the passenger off and notify the local police department.

The train dropped him off at an area known as Bootleggers' Crossing in the middle of the forest five miles outside of Williams.

According to the Williams Police Department lieutenant, when Sims was kicked off the train he took off running into the woods before the officer could make contact. It was pitch dark and in the middle of the night.

"He got his car parked and went up to the train," said Williams Police Department Lt. Mike Graham. "The conductor was standing in the doorway and told the officer, 'The guy took off running as soon as we stopped.' He then handed him a handbag and said this is the guy's carry-on."

When Sims didn't arrive in Los Angeles, his family became concerned because he had just been diagnosed with diabetes on Friday.

"He's a relatively new diabetic and he's not familiar with what he needs to do as far as eating or taking his pills on a regular basis," Graham said.

Sims' family believes he went into a diabetic shock. They were able to call him on his cell phone the following day, but the 65-year-old sounded disoriented.

"They knew something was drastically wrong," Graham said. "They kept trying to call him. His conversations got progressively worse. He seemed to be getting more incoherent."

The last time the family had contact with Sims was on Monday. His cell phone signal was picked up down in Litchfield Park.

The police are asking for the public's help in locating Sims.

As far as Amtrak, officials tell me they followed the company policy and are not looking into this matter. Amtrak issued this statement late Thursday.

"Amtrak followed company policy Sunday night (6/24) when a passenger was escorted off Amtrak's Southwest Chief train #3 in Williams Junction, AZ, at a regularly scheduled station stop with a station platform and roadway access. Amtrak would never leave a person alone in a remote location under any circumstances. In this case, the conductor and the passenger waited on the platform with the passenger's luggage. Upon arrival of authorities, the passenger fled into nearby woods. The investigation is being handled by Williams PD."

Officials say their involvement was complete when they dropped Sims off.

How crazy is it to be diagnosed as diabetic and then embark on a cross-country train trip before you have had a chance to get your levels of medication adjusted? I hope they find the guy safe and sound soon. Amtrak is not looking too bad now, but I am curious if he was seen drinking. I would guess drinking would complicate the whole process of regulating blood sugar.

Interesting, in reading the other thread, how many people seemed ready to believe that Amtrak would deposit a passenger in the middle of nowhere, and how many others seemed to support their doing so.

Bandob

Typically, the person going into diabetic shock is unaware of it. I would imagine someone who just found out they have diabetes would have a very hard recognizing the signs.
This looks like a bad combination of circumstances, probably complicated that it was late at night.

bandob Wrote:
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> Interesting, in reading the other thread, how many
> people seemed ready to believe that Amtrak would
> deposit a passenger in the middle of nowhere,

That's what was implied in the original article, although some recognized that much was uncertain.

> and
> how many others seemed to support their doing so.
>
> Bandob

True. How pathetic.

WP

Sad story, but you really cannot blame Amtrak for this one at all.

I will say however, if there was ONE station I would not want to be kicked off at it would be Williams, AZ!

Why did they call the police? An ambulance would have seemed more appropriate.

Calling the cops for a possible medical emergency is as stupid as calling the fire dept. to check out a man dressed in black crawling through the neighbor's basement window.

CNW534 Wrote:
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> Why did they call the police? An ambulance would
> have seemed more appropriate.
>
> Calling the cops for a possible medical emergency
> is as stupid as calling the fire dept. to check
> out a man dressed in black crawling through the
> neighbor's basement window.

Most likely the conductor asked the BNSF dispatcher to call emergency services. He called the number on file for Coconino County AZ. The sheriffs got there first.
Almost every time I've had to call 911 for an on board emergency in Maricopa the local police get there first often quite awhile before the fire department and an ambulance is even later. Down here the police that show up or either Pinal County or Tohono Oodham tribal police. Both are very professional. Coconino County is probably another matter, just about everything in the Flagstaff area is real amateur hour, clown show stuff and it's no wonder something went wrong.

Mr Sims could have very well been drinking and was in denial of his diabetic condition.
The Diabetic shock may have started later when he was off the train and with out food.
Maybe the wannabee dockers should consider this scenario.