Railway Station Dispatcher Detained After Drug Use Halts Traffic

Kapusany/Bratislava, 27 July (TASR) - Police have detained a railway station dispatcher who was under the influence of drugs while performing traffic control duties on the rail section between the Sarisske Luky and Kapusany stations in the Presov region, Presov Regional Police Directorate spokesperson Jana Ligdayova announced on Monday. According to her, the man tested positive in a preliminary drug screening on Saturday afternoon (25 July). "The railway station dispatcher was performing traffic control duties on the section between the Sarisske Luky and Kapusany stations, where a passenger train carrying approximately 140 people was operating. The dispatcher was unable to comply with the traffic controller instructions due to his use of narcotic and addictive substances. This conduct endangered the lives and health of the passengers. Rail traffic was suspended," Ligdayova said. The dispatcher underwent a preliminary drug test, which returned positive results for amphetamine and methamphetamine. An investigator from the Presov District Police Directorate has launched criminal proceedings on suspicion of endangerment under the influence of an addictive substance, in conjunction with the felony of causing a public danger. The suspect was detained and the necessary procedural steps have been carried out. mf