Arizona man pleads guilty to 2015 crash that killed Metrolink engineer in Oxnard

An Arizona man pleaded guilty to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter in the 2015 death of a Metrolink engineer on Friday.

Jose Alejandro Sanchez-Ramirez, 58, of Yuma, Arizona was driving along Rice Avenue in Oxnard when he made a right turn short of the intersection onto the railroad tracks. He continued to drive on the tracks until his vehicle became immobilized. He abandoned his vehicle and did not notify authorities.

A Metrolink commuter train collided with Sanchez-Ramirez’s truck, injuring dozens of people and killing Glenn William Steele, one of the train’s engineers.

Sanchez-Ramirez’s lawyer said his client mistakenly turned onto the tracks and continued on the tracks hoping to find a spot to turn around. His lawyer said Sanchez-Ramirez did not have enought time to contact authorities before the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that Sanchez-Ramirez had been on duty for nearly 24 hours, with 17 of those hours spent driving between Somerton, Arizona to Oxnard.

Sanchez-Ramirez is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24. He could face up to a year in jail.

Related: Engineer in Metrolink Crash Dies In Hospital