Investigation, Charges and Conviction
At first, Gates and Cromwell denied smoking marijuana. However, they later tested positive for the substance. A National Transportation Safety Board investigation revealed that had Gates slowed down at the signals as required, he would have stopped in time. It also determined that Gates and Cromwell's marijuana use was the "probable cause" of the accident. Gates and Cromwell were immediately suspended by Conrail pending an internal investigation, but resigned rather than face certain termination.
Gates was eventually charged with manslaughter by locomotive; under Maryland law a locomotive is a motor vehicle. Prosecutors cut a deal with Cromwell in which he agreed to testify against Gates in return for immunity. Gates was sentenced to five years in state prison and one year's probation, and was later sentenced to an additional three years on federal charges of lying to the NTSB. Gates' history of DWI (driving while intoxicated) convictions as well as his admission that the crew had been using marijuana while on duty led for a call to certify locomotive engineers as to their qualifications and history.
Toxicology tests on the Amtrak engineer's body returned negative and, in fact, his actions served only to reduce the severity of the wreck by slowing his train from 125 to 108 mph (201 to 174 km/h).
Gates was released from prison in 1992 after serving four years, and now works as an abuse counselor. In a 1993 interview with the Baltimore Sun, Gates said the accident would have never happened if not for the marijuana. He also revealed he'd smoked marijuana on the job several times.
Read more about this topic: 1987 Maryland Train Collision
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