LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - A Louisville Zoo maintenance employee
disabled a warning light that could have indicated there were
problems with the brakes on a small train that derailed in 2009,
sending 22 people to the hospital.
That is according to records obtained by The Courier-Journal
that are part of the evidence to be used in a February 2012 trial.
Plaintiffs claim the zoo was negligent in its maintenance and
operation of the train.
Danielle O'Mary said in a deposition that another employee,
Angel Rivera, asked her to tell investigators she knew nothing
about why Rivera removed the bulb to an emergency warning light.
Both employees were fired for lying to investigators.
Records also show that a warning buzzer had been disconnected,
although it is unclear who was responsible.
Zoo attorneys declined to comment.