Interview of Truck Driver in Clarendon Hills Train Crash

HUMAN PERFORMANCE FACTORS ATTACHMENT
Truck Driver’s Interview Transcription
Clarendon Hills, IL
HWY22MH009
(29 pages)
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Investigation of: *
*
METRA PASSENGER FATALITY *
IN CLARENDON HILLS, ILLINOIS * Accident No.: HWY22MH009
ON MAY 11, 2022 *
*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Interview of: SABRJA SAM CUBIC, Truck Driver

Del's Movers
La Grange, Illinois
Friday,
May 13, 2022
FREE STATE REPORTING, INC.

Court Reporting Transcription
D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
APPEARANCES:
KENNY BRAGG, Investigator

National Transportation Safety Board
SHELDON RUSSELL, Project Manager

DR. ANNE GARCIA, Human Performance Investigator

SHAWN CURRIE, Motor Carrier Investigator

ENSAR BECIC, Project Manager

RANDY BALLA, Owner

Del's Movers
ALEX SMITH, Owner

Del's Movers
RORY McGINTY, Counsel for Del's Movers

Law Offices of Rory K. McGinty

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
I N D E X
ITEM PAGE
Interview of Sabrja Sam Cubic:
By Mr. Bragg 4
By Mr. Currie 10
By Ms. Garcia 26

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
4
1 I N T E R V I E W
2 MR. BRAGG: Today is Friday, May 13th. And we are at Del's
3 Moving and Storage in La Grange Park, Illinois. My name is
4 Kenny Bragg. I'm an investigator with the Office of Highway
5 Safety with the National Safety Transportation Safety Board.
6 This interview is connection with a Clarendon Hills train and
7 truck crash which took place on 5/11/22. Highway No. HWY22MH009.
8 We'll go this way. Could you please state and spell your first
9 and last name?
10 MR. RUSSELL: Sheldon Russell. S-h-e-l-d-o-n R-u-s-s-e-l-l.
11 Project manager Office of Highway Safety.
12 MR. BALLA: Randy Balla. R-a-n-d-y B-a-l-l-a. Del's Movers.
13 MR. McGINTY: Rory McGinty. I'm the attorney for Del's. R-
14 o-r-y. Last name M-c-G-i-n-t-y.
15 MR. SMITH: Alex Smith. Owner of Del's Moving and Storage.
16 A-l-e-x. Last name S-m-i-t-h.
17 MR. BECIC: Ensar Becic. E-n-s-a-r B-e-c-i-c. Project
18 manager for NTSB.
19 DR. GARCIA: Anne Garcia. A-n-n-e G-a-r-c-i-a. Human
20 performance (indiscernible) for NTSB.
21 MR. CURRIE: Shawn Currie. S-h-a-w-n C-u-r-r-i-e. Motor
22 carrier investigator for Office of Highway Safety from the NTSB.
23 MR. CUBIC: Sabrja Sam Cubic. S-a-b-r-j-a, middle name Sam,
24 S-a-m. And last name Cubic, C-u-b-i-c.
25 INTERVIEW OF SABRJA SAM CUBIC

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
5
1 BY MR. BRAGG:
2 Q. And who do you work for?
3 A. I work for Del's.
4 Q. How long have you worked for Del's?
5 A. I work -- 2017.
6 Q. What's your current role?
7 A. I'm a driver.
8 Q. Have you worked as a driver for that entire time?
9 A. I started like a worker. And after that like a driver.
10 Q. When did you start driving for him?
11 A. I (indiscernible). After while -- after 2017 sometime. I'm
12 not quite sure (indiscernible).
13 Q. I'm going to ask you just in your own words, go ahead and
14 explain to -- what happened the day of the crash?
15 A. Well, I was driving. I saw the ramp was down. And we
16 waiting for the open. And then ramp open. I saw there was a car
17 in front of me. As I pass the road, last car passed. I put it in
18 the gear, first gear and drive. I went over the track and then
19 truck stopped. It died. It was in gear. And then, after that, I
20 tried to start it up. It won't start up. I tried so many times,
21 four, five times. And the ramp went down. And after that, I try
22 again, again, again. I saw a train coming the other side. So I
23 have to jump. If I didn't jump, I will be dead. That's all.
24 Q. What time did you begin working that day?
25 A. 7:00.

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
6
1 Q. 7:00. And what time did the -- about what time did the
2 (indiscernible)?
3 A. Around 8. I'm not quite sure. I didn't look at it. That
4 was around I think 8:00. I went for gas and then I went to work.
5 Q. So when you filled up gas, is that -- did you directly -- go
6 directly to where the --
7 A. Yes. I did. Went on a job. Yeah. I came over here. I
8 went on a job. I got paperwork and stuff. I did inspection
9 first. I look at the truck around. Oil, check out if everything
10 was okay. Then I went and fill it up gas at a gas station. Then
11 I went on the job that wasn't far away from there. Then on the
12 track, you know, the truck stopped. It died by itself and stuff.
13 I was in first gear. The other car was pass. Nobody was in front
14 of me but I pass him and then I tried to start it up. I went over
15 the train for the bump, whatever the -- and then it won't go. It
16 died. It shut it off by itself.
17 So then I tried so many times to -- try like five, six times.
18 It won't start it up. I didn't want to leave the truck and stuff
19 but the ramp went down. It (indiscernible) what it was. Then I
20 saw the train. It was so fast. I tried to -- I saw the train. I
21 saw him. I didn't hear him. And I had a choice. I didn't know
22 what to do. You know what I mean? Nothing else I can do. I
23 didn't want to leave the truck but it did not run.
24 Q. When you say ramp, you talking about the gate arm?
25 A. The gate arm. Yeah. It drop on the track. I was on like

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
7
1 half, half.
2 Q. When you went to get gas and you pick up the truck that
3 morning, did you notice the truck operating unusually?
4 A. No, it was normal everything. Yeah. Like everything. I did
5 the pre-inspection in the morning. Everything was okay. I look
6 at the oil. I look at the turn signals, everything.
7 (Indiscernible) looked at the tires. Everything was okay.
8 Nothing unusual.
9 Q. When you first got into the truck, did you have any problems
10 starting the engine then?
11 A. No, I didn't. It start up right away.
12 Q. When you went to get to fuel, did you cut the truck off?
13 A. Yeah.
14 Q. Did you -- when you went to start it up, did it start up
15 normal again?
16 A. Yes, it did.
17 Q. This truck uses diesel. Correct?
18 A. Yeah, it's a diesel. Yeah.
19 Q. Did you top it off? I mean, did you fill the tank up?
20 A. Yeah, I fill it up.
21 Q. When you accelerated, you know, either leaving the gas
22 station or leaving your -- the company, did you notice that the
23 engine had a lack of power?
24 A. No, everything was normal. Nothing unusual.
25 Q. How long had you been on the railroad tracks when it cut off?

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
8
1 Did you just coast up to it?
2 A. Well, I went across the train. Like a half -- maybe -- I
3 don't know. My -- and then, it just died by itself. I didn't
4 change gear or do anything. I just -- nobody was in front of me.
5 And then, after that, it just died. I went over the bump,
6 whatever it was, the train, and then it just died. I didn't know
7 what to do. So I tried to start it up so many times.
8 Q. Was the truck moving when the engine cut off or was it --
9 A. No. It shut off by itself. So I was stuck between like a
10 half -- there was like outside the train on the road, and half on
11 railroad. So I didn't know what to do. I tried to start it up so
12 many times and stuff. I didn't want to leave. And then --
13 Q. But here's the question I have. When you approach the
14 track --
15 A. Yes.
16 Q. -- and you drove up to it --
17 A. Yes.
18 Q. You immediately drove across some of the tracks. Right?
19 A. I went (indiscernible) truck right away and the truck shut
20 off by himself. It just died.
21 Q. But were you stopped or were you moving when it cut off?
22 A. Say again.
23 Q. Was the truck stopped?
24 A. Yeah. It was stopped. I went. It just died by himself. I
25 stop. I cannot go nowhere.

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
9
1 Q. But here's the question. Did you already stop when the
2 engine cut it off or did it cut off when you were moving?
3 A. When I was moving, it cut it off by itself. Yeah.
4 Q. So it was just moving and --
5 A. I was moving and it shut it off by himself. Yes.
6 Q. Any warning that it was going to cut off? Did the engine --
7 A. No, nothing. It was like -- it just went all over and then I
8 was moving and then truck died by himself. Yeah, I didn't know
9 what to do. So I tried to start it up so many times and --
10 Q. So at some point, did you set the parking brake? Did you
11 pull the parking brake at some time?
12 A. Yeah, I did.
13 Q. At what point? Before you started to try to start it up or
14 after you -- before you got out?
15 A. Wait a minute. Let me think about it. I was -- I'm not
16 quite sure about that. I was driving and it -- I don't think I
17 put it at all. I just was like -- it was in a gear and I tried
18 gas. It didn't go. It just died. And then I tried to start it
19 up again, again, again. It was so fast. It stopped.
20 (Indiscernible). I'm not quite sure about that. I cannot say
21 nothing about it. I don't know. I’m not quite sure. Because it
22 happened so fast.
23 Q. So describe what happened. What you saw when you got out of
24 the truck.
25 A. I went around out of truck and tried to save. And then,

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
10
1 what's his name -- the -- I think there was a train. I don't know
2 what kind. Maybe it was -- I don't know what kind of train they
3 were. I think it was Metro something. I'm not quite sure. It
4 hit the truck and stuff. After -- put it over -- there was a big
5 collision and stuff. And after that truck catch on fire and
6 everything.
7 Q. So was there anything unusual about the grade crossing when
8 you approached it? Did you notice anything unusual about it?
9 A. No, nothing. Everything normal.
10 Q. Did you notice -- the edge of the roadway, did you notice the
11 truck hitting a bump there or anything?
12 A. No, everything normal and stuff. I went over the bump and
13 stuff. Everything -- it just died here by himself. So it won't
14 start it up.
15 MR. BRAGG: Mr. Currie, do you have any questions about the
16 incident itself?
17 MR. CURRIE: I do.
18 MR. BRAGG: Go ahead.
19 BY MR. CURRIE:
20 Q. You doing okay?
21 A. Yeah.
22 Q. You came here first thing in the morning.
23 A. Yeah.
24 Q. Around 7:00.
25 A. Yeah.

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
11
1 Q. What do you do when you get here?
2 A. Well, I go to the dispatcher asks what my job (indiscernible)
3 he giving me key. He giving me paperwork. So I went. And then I
4 went around the truck. I do inspection. Make sure oil -- check
5 the oil, check the antifreeze and stuff. Check the tire pressure.
6 And then, after then, I went and -- gas station, fill it up diesel
7 and stuff.
8 Q. Let's back it up a little bit. So you do your inspection.
9 A. Yeah.
10 Q. You have a form you fill out?
11 A. It burn. That was inside. Everything burn. Even my phone.
12 Everything burn.
13 Q. Do you get to pick which truck you have or do they give you a
14 truck?
15 A. They giving me truck.
16 Q. And you've driven this truck before?
17 A. Yeah, I've driven it.
18 Q. How often do you drive this truck?
19 A. I don’t know. Every day we got a different truck.
20 Q. One, two days a week maybe?
21 A. Maybe. I -- I’m not quite sure. Depends. What kind of job
22 they have.
23 Q. Are the trucks loaded when you get them?
24 A. No, it was empty. I went to the job. Yeah.
25 Q. So you were going to pick up (indiscernible)?

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
12
1 A. Yeah, pick up the stuff. Yeah.
2 Q. After you do your inspection, you have your two helpers
3 (indiscernible). Do they help you with the inspection or what do
4 they do?
5 A. Oh, no. I did it myself. I looked at it. It was like --
6 bring the stuff where we needed for that day like -- whatever we
7 needed. Pads, dollies. Whatever we need and stuff. And I was
8 doing inspection. I look at everything -- what is inside. It
9 looks normal and stuff.
10 Q. The truck was out here in the parking lot?
11 A. Yeah.
12 Q. After your inspection and everything is in the truck, you
13 leave here?
14 A. Yeah, I pick up two guys with me. I went to the truck.
15 Q. You are good with a standard, the standard, the clutch and
16 all that?
17 A. Oh, yeah. I grew up with them. I been driving since I knew.
18 Q. We'll get to that in a minute. But when you approached the
19 railroad tracks --
20 A. Yeah.
21 Q. -- you said you were in first gear?
22 A. Yeah.
23 Q. Do you remember where your feet where? Foot on the clutch,
24 foot on the gas? Where --
25 A. I was -- when we were stopped, my one feet is on the gas. It

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
13
1 went all over and stuff so --
2 Q. When it stalled, you were rolling forward?
3 A. It was rolling forward and stuff. The truck died. My right
4 pedal was on the gas. Everything was normal. I went over and
5 stuff. The truck just died by itself. So I didn't know what to
6 do.
7 MR. CURRIE: I'm all set on questions. (Indiscernible).
8 Thank you.
9 BY MR. BRAGG:
10 Q. Let's talk about your driving background. When did you first
11 obtain your driver's license?
12 A. My driver license?
13 Q. Yeah.
14 A. I was 18 years old I think (indiscernible).
15 Q. What country?
16 A. It doesn't exist anymore. It used to be Yugoslavia. Now, I
17 think called Montenegro. I'm not quite sure.
18 Q. When did you come to the states?
19 A. I came 1992. February 2nd.
20 Q. When did you obtain your first driver's license in the United
21 States?
22 A. United States -- I wasn't quite sure. Sometime
23 (indiscernible) 30 years so like maybe year or two after. I'm not
24 quite sure to be honest with you. I don't know. It had been a
25 long time.

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
14
1 Q. What state did you obtain your driver's license in?
2 A. First time I think Illinois. Yeah.
3 Q. Illinois? Have you had a license in any other state?
4 A. Yeah. I'd been living in California for 15 years. Yeah. I
5 had a license in California.
6 Q. What type of license did you first get? Was it just a
7 regular?
8 A. Just a regular license. Yeah. Driving.
9 Q. Same thing with California?
10 A. Yeah.
11 Q. Have you ever had a commercial driver's license?
12 A. Not that time and stuff. That happened later on after the --
13 Q. When did you get a commercial driver's license?
14 A. I'm not quite sure and stuff. I know I get it here for sure
15 but before -- I think I had it in California like a C license.
16 I'm not -- it had been a long time ago. I cannot say for certain.
17 Q. But you had a commercial driver's license --
18 A. I had a C license, yeah, I think in California a long time
19 ago. C license.
20 Q. C license is just passenger car. Right?
21 A. No. Diesel.
22 UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: It's a non-CDL.
23 A. Yeah. It's not CDL. Yeah. Just like a C license over
24 26,000 pounds. Yeah.
25 Q. So you never had a CDL?

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
15
1 A. No, I never had a CDL.
2 Q. Have you ever had a ticket, traffic ticket?
3 A. You talking with a car, with a truck?
4 Q. Either.
5 A. I had some tickets. I think like speeding or something.
6 Q. What state?
7 A. Illinois.
8 Q. Illinois.
9 A. (Indiscernible) --
10 Q. Just the one speeding ticket?
11 A. I don't know, sir. They've been a long time. Like I've been
12 driving 30 years over here. So I really don't know. You can look
13 in my record and stuff.
14 Q. How about a crash? Have you ever been involved in a crash
15 before this incident?
16 A. I had a crash with his car but it -- with a car. It wasn't
17 with a truck. I never had a crash with a truck.
18 Q. When was that crash?
19 A. Two years ago. (Indiscernible) his car.
20 MR. BALLA: It wasn't his -- it was -- somebody rammed into
21 him.
22 MR. CUBIC: Yeah, it was --
23 MR. BALLA: He was making a left-hand turn and
24 (indiscernible) --
25 MR. CUBIC: Yeah, and stuff. Yeah. Yeah. I think I had one

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
16
1 accident long, long time ago. One more accident, I think. That
2 would been like maybe 1998. I'm not quite sure what year. It was
3 like -- that's the (indiscernible).
4 BY MR. BRAGG:
5 Q. Is this the first job you ever had driving?
6 A. No, I've been driving before in California.
7 Q. What type of job did you have?
8 A. Mover.
9 Q. You say you drove a moving truck before?
10 A. Yeah, C license.
11 Q. What size truck was it?
12 A. It was a 26-footer, 22-foot. Yeah, something like that. It
13 been a long time ago.
14 Q. Yeah. Did the vehicles you drove in California, did they
15 have air brakes?
16 A. There was over 26,000 pounds. So I'm not quite sure.
17 Q. You said they were over 26,000?
18 A. No, no. Under 26.
19 Q. So you're not --
20 A. I cannot -- right, yeah. It's been a long time. So I don’t
21 know.
22 Q. Since you've been driving trucks here --
23 A. Yeah.
24 Q. -- the manual truck, the stick truck, is that the only truck
25 that has air brakes here?

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
17
1 A. No, I think the other ones, too. I'm not quite -- you know,
2 different truck that has different thing. But it was under 26,000
3 pounds.
4 Q. Let's talk about the day of the crash. What time did you get
5 up that morning, Wednesday morning?
6 A. 5:00.
7 Q. Get up at 5:00. How far away do you live?
8 A. I live in Elmwood Park.
9 Q. Elmond Park?
10 A. Elmwood Park. Elmwood.
11 Q. How far is that from here?
12 A. Like 20 minutes. I'm not quite sure. Twenty-five minutes,
13 half hour. I'm not quite sure how long. Depends on traffic.
14 Q. Are you married? Family?
15 A. Yeah, I was married. I'm still married legally and stuff.
16 But live in California her -- wife and kids. I got two children
17 and stuff. They are big now.
18 Q. But here in --
19 A. I don't have nobody here. I live by myself.
20 Q. So you got up at 5:00. What did you do when you got up?
21 A. I had breakfast. I went -- get some coffee. Come over here.
22 I’m over here before anybody.
23 Q. What time did you go to bed the night before?
24 A. The night before it was like 8:00, 9. I'm not quite sure.
25 Q. 8:00.

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
18
1 A. Something like that. It's hard to tell.
2 Q. How do you sleep at night?
3 A. Good.
4 Q. What time did you get up Tuesday morning?
5 A. Tuesday morning. What is the day -- day before?
6 Q. The day before the crash.
7 A. 5:00. I wake up 5:00 every day.
8 Q. Did you -- you work --
9 A. I work.
10 Q. -- every day of the week?
11 A. Yeah (indiscernible).
12 Q. What time do you go to bed Tuesday? About the same time?
13 A. Same time. 8, 9. Depends. Depends on the job sometimes.
14 We go longer hours (indiscernible).
15 Q. How about Monday, Monday morning?
16 A. Same thing. Same thing. I wake up every day 5:00.
17 Q. What about Saturday and Sunday? What time do you get up?
18 A. 5:00. I do. Ask them. I'm always -- I'm before anybody
19 else here.
20 MR. SMITH: He is. That's Sam.
21 Q. So do you work Saturday and Sunday?
22 A. Sometimes if they need it. I will. I try to work much as I
23 can.
24 Q. How about this past weekend?
25 A. Yeah, I try to work. Yeah.

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
19
1 Q. Which day? Both days?
2 A. I'm not quite sure. I would have to look at --
3 MR. BALLA: I can -- you worked Sunday. You came in. But
4 remember the job cancelled.
5 A. Yeah, job cancel. Yeah, you right. I work Saturday but job
6 cancel on a Sunday. Yeah. I was here. Yeah. Randy was here.
7 Q. What time did you get off Saturday?
8 A. I wake up 5.
9 Q. What time did you get off?
10 UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: What time did you get off, Sam?
11 A. Oh, off. Saturday. Oh, Jesus Christ. I went to -- it was a
12 long day. 9:00, 9:30. I’m not -- 10:30. I was here at 10:30.
13 I’m not quite sure. I got it write down. Everything.
14 Q. We'll get -- how is your health?
15 A. Okay.
16 Q. You go to the doctor?
17 A. If I have problem.
18 Q. Do you have a regular doctor?
19 A. I go with some doctor over -- I used to (indiscernible).
20 Q. What's the doctor's name? Do you know?
21 A. I don't know what's her name.
22 Q. Do you have health insurance?
23 A. I got Uncle Sam insurance. Yeah.
24 Q. Uncle Sam insurance. Did you get that insurance through the
25 job?

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
20
1 A. No.
2 MR. SMITH: No. It's like -- he's on like Medicaid, state.
3 MR. CUBIC: Medicare and stuff. State.
4 MR. SMITH: With the state of Illinois.
5 BY MR. BRAGG:
6 Q. When was the last time you been to the doctor?
7 A. I don’t know. Maybe two, three months ago. I don't really
8 know.
9 Q. What did you go to the doctor for?
10 A. They want to check it out. You know, just regular check-up,
11 I think, stuff.
12 Q. So you just went for a regular physical or check-up?
13 A. Yeah, yeah. Check-up.
14 Q. How did the -- how did it come out? Any issues?
15 A. (Indiscernible). I don't know. I feel good and stuff. So I
16 don't know.
17 Q. Do you take any medication regularly?
18 A. I don’t take medication. I take medication like I take a
19 Tylenol or aspirin sometimes.
20 Q. Not -- nothing for blood pressure or anything like that?
21 A. I take blood thinners.
22 Q. You take blood thinners.
23 A. Yeah, I take the blood thinners.
24 Q. Where do you get your prescriptions filled at?
25 A. Walgreens.

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
21
1 Q. You go to Walgreens. Do you have a medical card, a DOT card?
2 A. I do. But it expired. Do you want it?
3 MR. BRAGG: Yes.
4 MR. CURRIE: Get your license while you're in there, sir.
5 MR. CUBIC: I don't have license.
6 MR. SMITH: (Indiscernible).
7 MR. CUBIC: They took my license. Yeah.
8 MR. SMITH: Yeah. I think one guy lost it and
9 (indiscernible).
10 BY MR. BRAGG:
11 Q. You say it expired?
12 A. Yeah, it expired.
13 MR. CURRIE: In 2019.
14 Q. Have you ever attempted to get a DOT card and got denied?
15 A. I'm not quite sure. I don't think so. If I went, I pass it.
16 I'm not quite sure.
17 Q. How about -- and what doctor did you go to to get your DOT
18 card?
19 A. That one?
20 Q. Um-hum.
21 A. I don't know. That would have been 2003. I'm not quite
22 sure. I don't know. I'm not -- maybe Elk Grove Village. I'm not
23 quite sure. I don't know.
24 MR. SMITH: I think it might be on the top of the card
25 (indiscernible).

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
22
1 MR. CUBIC: Yeah, I don't know. It would have been a long
2 time.
3 MR. BRAGG: Do you have anything?
4 MR. CURRIE: I do.
5 BY MR. CURRIE:
6 Q. You said you got your license back when you lived in
7 Yugoslavia?
8 A. Yeah, had a license back a long time ago.
9 Q. Did you have to go to like driver's ed or anything or --
10 A. It was different. You got to go take the test. You got to
11 drive. You got to -- everything. That was different back then.
12 Q. You had experience in Yugoslavia driving trucks or just cars?
13 A. Yeah, I drive truck over there. But it doesn't exist
14 anymore. Everything (indiscernible).
15 Q. Yeah, but --
16 A. Yeah, I drove trucks.
17 Q. -- your experience (indiscernible).
18 A. Yeah, yeah. I did drive trucks. Yeah.
19 Q. Big trucks or just --
20 A. No, just small box truck I drive.
21 Q. Kind of like this kind of truck?
22 A. Yeah, yeah.
23 Q. So you have -- you're -- how old are you now? Fifty-four --
24 A. I'm born . Whatever it comes to. Yeah. I was born
25 .

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
23
1 Q. So 55?
2 A. Whatever. Yeah.
3 UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Fifty-four.
4 Q. Fifty-four. So 30 years ago. Twenty-two years driving. No,
5 that's 50 --
6 A. I don’t know. Whatever --
7 Q. Twenty-six years. I'm horrible with math this morning.
8 Thirty-six years. So they said you were in the Army?
9 A. I was a Marine. Yeah. In my country.
10 Q. Did you drive trucks in the Marines?
11 A. I think I did back then. Long, long time ago.
12 Q. Did they train you or did they just --
13 A. Yeah, yeah. They train me how to do it and stuff. They do
14 everything. Yeah. I was a Marine for one year. It's mandatory.
15 Everybody has to go.
16 Q. When you came to the U.S. in '92 --
17 A. Yeah.
18 Q. -- you get a license here in Illinois.
19 A. Yeah.
20 Q. What did you do for work then?
21 A. I work for Old Chicago in the moving business. I work. I
22 was a mechanic. I did so many jobs. I was a painter. I was -- I
23 did all kind of odd jobs and stuff.
24 Q. Then you moved to California?
25 A. Yeah, I got married. I find a wife. And I move over there.

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
24
1 Yeah.
2 Q. What city in California?
3 A. Freemont, California. I had a house over there, too.
4 Q. What did you --
5 A. Bay area.
6 Q. What did you do for work in California?
7 A. My wife was an OB/GYN so first I take care of kids and stuff.
8 And sometimes I work. And my wife was doing residency in Stanford
9 Palo Alto so I take care of her kids and my kids for a while.
10 Q. You were in California for 10 or 15 years?
11 A. Around there, yeah.
12 Q. Then you moved back?
13 A. Yeah, I moved back. Yeah.
14 Q. About when did you move back?
15 A. My father pass away 2011. I went visit him. After that.
16 Yeah. So I been (indiscernible) since 2011 I think I've been here
17 living -- I live in a trailer park first. Now I like in Elmwood
18 Park. Yeah.
19 Q. You switched your license over back to Illinois
20 (indiscernible)?
21 A. Oh, yeah, yeah. You have to. Yeah.
22 Q. What did you start doing for work then when you came back?
23 A. Mover.
24 Q. Where?
25 A. (Indiscernible). I work for -- I work -- what else -- I work

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
25
1 -- I was doing for (indiscernible) --
2 Q. (Indiscernible)?
3 A. (Indiscernible). Yeah, all the time and stuff. Then I
4 worked for -- they're called (indiscernible). There is a small
5 company. But mostly (indiscernible).
6 Q. So you weren't driving at that time for them. You were just
7 basically helping move furniture.
8 A. Yeah, move furniture. Yeah.
9 Q. Then you got hired here in 2017?
10 A. Yeah.
11 Q. Have you ever had any formal training for truck driving,
12 driving trucks?
13 A. What do you mean? Here?
14 Q. Anywhere?
15 A. Yeah, yeah.
16 Q. Where?
17 A. When I was in Army. Yeah, over there. Yeah, training.
18 Yeah, you cannot get license if you don't. You got to be 18 years
19 old (indiscernible) train.
20 Q. I know it's been a long time. But what training did they --
21 how long was it about?
22 A. What do you mean?
23 Q. About how long was your training?
24 A. Oh, training. Like there was two weeks, three weeks you had
25 to do that. You know, they tell you what it is (indiscernible).

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
26
1 MR. CURRIE: I'm good. Thank you.
2 MR. CUBIC: Yeah.
3 MR. BRAGG: Any (indiscernible) have any questions?
4 BY MS. GARCIA:
5 Q. I do. Anne Garcia. I just have a question on some
6 additional training that you might have received. So have you
7 heard anything about when you are crossing a grade crossing and
8 your truck gets stopped or your personal vehicle, who do you call
9 to report that? Do you know?
10 A. I beg your --
11 Q. Who would you call to report it if like your personal car was
12 stuck on --
13 A. (Indiscernible) who I call?
14 Q. Right. You get out of the car then. It won't go. And who
15 would you call? What would --
16 A. Police. 911. Who else to call? I just -- I don't know. I
17 never heard that. It never happen before.
18 Q. That's why I'm asking. Are you aware that, you know, where
19 the gate comes down --
20 A. Yeah.
21 Q. -- there's also a sign there that gives you a number to call
22 and it tells the railroad.
23 A. Yeah. But it never happen before.
24 Q. Right. That's why I was asking because some people don't
25 notice that.

D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947
27
1 A. Yeah, yeah.
2 DR. GARCIA: Thank you.
3 MR. BRAGG: The time is now 8:36. We will conclude the
4 interview. Thank you.
5 MR. CUBIC: Yeah, thank you.
6 MR. CURRIE: Thank you, Sam.
7 (Whereupon, at 8:36 Central, the interview was concluded.)
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
D.C. Area 301-261-1902
Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947

Interview of Truck Driver in Clarendon Hills Train Crash

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Interview of Truck Driver in Clarendon Hills Train Crash

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

HUMAN PERFORMANCE FACTORS ATTACHMENT

Truck Driver’s Interview Transcription

NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD

Interview of: SABRJA SAM CUBIC, Truck Driver

FREE STATE REPORTING, INC.

KENNY BRAGG, Investigator

SHELDON RUSSELL, Project Manager

DR. ANNE GARCIA, Human Performance Investigator

SHAWN CURRIE, Motor Carrier Investigator

ENSAR BECIC, Project Manager

RANDY BALLA, Owner

ALEX SMITH, Owner

RORY McGINTY, Counsel for Del's Movers

FREE STATE REPORTING, INC.

Interview of Sabrja Sam Cubic:

FREE STATE REPORTING, INC.

2 MR. BRAGG: Today is Friday, May 13th. And we are at Del's

3 Moving and Storage in La Grange Park, Illinois. My name is

4 Kenny Bragg. I'm an investigator with the Office of Highway

5 Safety with the National Safety Transportation Safety Board.

6 This interview is connection with a Clarendon Hills train and

7 truck crash which took place on 5/11/22. Highway No. HWY22MH009.

9 and last name?

10 MR. RUSSELL: Sheldon Russell. S-h-e-l-d-o-n R-u-s-s-e-l-l.

11 Project manager Office of Highway Safety.

12 MR. BALLA: Randy Balla. R-a-n-d-y B-a-l-l-a. Del's Movers.

13 MR. McGINTY: Rory McGinty. I'm the attorney for Del's. R-

14 o-r-y. Last name M-c-G-i-n-t-y.

15 MR. SMITH: Alex Smith. Owner of Del's Moving and Storage.

16 A-l-e-x. Last name S-m-i-t-h.

17 MR. BECIC: Ensar Becic. E-n-s-a-r B-e-c-i-c. Project

18 manager for NTSB.

19 DR. GARCIA: Anne Garcia. A-n-n-e G-a-r-c-i-a. Human

20 performance (indiscernible) for NTSB.

21 MR. CURRIE: Shawn Currie. S-h-a-w-n C-u-r-r-i-e. Motor

22 carrier investigator for Office of Highway Safety from the NTSB.

23 MR. CUBIC: Sabrja Sam Cubic. S-a-b-r-j-a, middle name Sam,

24 S-a-m. And last name Cubic, C-u-b-i-c.

25 INTERVIEW OF SABRJA SAM CUBIC

FREE STATE REPORTING, INC.

2 Q. And who do you work for?

3 A. I work for Del's.

4 Q. How long have you worked for Del's?

6 Q. What's your current role?

8 Q. Have you worked as a driver for that entire time?

9 A. I started like a worker. And after that like a driver.

10 Q. When did you start driving for him?

11 A. I (indiscernible). After while -- after 2017 sometime. I'm

12 not quite sure (indiscernible).

14 explain to -- what happened the day of the crash?

15 A. Well, I was driving. I saw the ramp was down. And we

17 in front of me. As I pass the road, last car passed. I put it in

19 truck stopped. It died. It was in gear. And then, after that, I

20 tried to start it up. It won't start up. I tried so many times,

22 again, again, again. I saw a train coming the other side. So I

23 have to jump. If I didn't jump, I will be dead. That's all.

24 Q. What time did you begin working that day?

FREE STATE REPORTING, INC.

3 A. Around 8. I'm not quite sure. I didn't look at it. That

5 Q. So when you filled up gas, is that -- did you directly -- go

6 directly to where the --

7 A. Yes. I did. Went on a job. Yeah. I came over here. I

8 went on a job. I got paperwork and stuff. I did inspection

9 first. I look at the truck around. Oil, check out if everything