No Criminal Charges In Teens' Light-rail Deaths In July

MTA spokeswoman Cheron Victoria Wicker said the agency would have no comment on the results of the criminal investigation. But now that it has concluded, she said, the MTA plans to launch its own inquiry.

Wicker said that while the operator of the train that struck the boys will not face criminal charges, he is not yet off the hook. She said he now faces "an administrative process that could result in disciplinary action up to and including termination."

When the MTA's investigation is complete, Wicker said, the agency will release its findings. The names of the operators will remain shielded, in compliance with state personnel laws.

Wicker said the accident has prompted changes in how the agency deals with trespassers. She said operators have been instructed to immediately report sightings of unauthorized persons on its tracks to the MTA operations center. In addition, trains in that area will reduce speed until the MTA police or other trains indicate the area is clear.

When trains are operating on a single track in the reverse direction from the norm, as the train that struck the boys was, operators have been instructed to periodically sound a warning bell, Wicker said.