Up until 10 years ago security guards patrolled Philadelphia's SEPTA rail yards 24 hours a day to protect SEPTA property and keep wayward pedestrians from danger. Had SEPTA kept those security guards on patrol at its Wayne Junction rail yards in Germantown, an 11-year-old Philadelphia boy would probably still be alive, said a former SEPTA security officer.
Jewels Angelo was electrocuted and killed Saturday when he entered SEPTA's unguarded Germantown rail yard and touched an electrified mechanism on top of a train car. Former security guard David Waters, who patrolled the rail yard in the 1990s, said that had security guards still been in place, they would have kept the boy from entering the dangerous Philadelphia rail yard and most likely would have been able to save his life.
According to Waters, 250 to 300 security guards provided overnight security at Philadelphia-area SEPTA transit stations in the 1990s. A decade later, financial problems shut down the security operation. Currently, the transit company has a team of roving guards that patrol SEPTA stations. A SEPTA spokesman said the transit company has no plans to reinstate guards at Philadelphia rail yards, despite the presence of hazardous equipment capable of inflicting severe personal injuries.
Utilities, transit authorities, manufacturers, business firms, commercial establishments, retail stores, even homeowners have a public safety responsibility to protect Philadelphia residents from coming to harm on their property. When a person suffers serious personal injury or is the victim of a wrongful death as a result of negligence, the victim's family can file to recover damages. If you believe someone in your family has been the victim of a wrongful death, contact an experienced Philadelphia personal injury attorney for a free case evaluation.
