On Friday, September 12, 2008, your plans for that evening, weekend, and life were brought to 
a violent halt in the collision of your commuter train with a Union Pacific train in Chatsworth, California. We all watched hopelessly as live coverage of the crash captured the brutal horror you experienced. We prayed for your names to remain on the list of the living.
To the 25 victims of this horrific crash and to their families:
You are missed even though we believe you are in a better place. Your family is blessed to have an additional angel watching over them now. Your loss has shaken our community and has brought us together to remember you as the outstanding citizens you were. Your life was not lost in vain; rather it awakened interest in a flawed system. Many will have to answer and we will not rest till they do. 
To the 135 injured passengers of Friday's crash:
We pray for your fast and complete recovery.
To the rescue personnel:
Thank you for your extraordinary efforts and may you never have to experience working another such tragedy in your life time.
Copyright (c) 2008 By Mana Tulberg, All Rights Reserved.* In Memory of Ventura County Metrolink Victims *
Photos: Los Angles Times
Mana, thanks for more information on this horrific event. I read about it in the news. Today they said they were investigating possible texting by an Engineer on the train. Terrible story for your area.
Thank you for sharing. It is good to have the opportunity to know their names and honor them on Active Rain. Thank you.
I was so saddened by this. I take the NJ Transit train into NYC daily. I pray that our conductors have more sense than the person who created this horrific tragedy. I am always a little nervous because the trains move so fast and the ones that pass are rather close. Amtrak passes by us at speeds that you can't even imagine. Yes, they are in a better place!! I will keep them all and their families in my prayers......
Stacey~
Mana - thank you for your kind words to those of us in the AR community who have been affected by this horrible tragedy. My husband (Coldwell Banker - Westlake Village Realtor) and I have lived in Simi for 12 years now.
Three years ago, we put some friends of ours in a home in our neighborhood here in Wood Ranch. One of our friends works in Glendale and takes the train to and from work and usually gets home around 4:30pm. When we heard about the crash on Friday afternoon, we immediately thought of our friends/neighbors and have been calling them ever since (both home & cell phones). No word yet from them. We even went to their home and left a message on their door asking them to contact us asap and let us know if they were alright. Monday afternoon and no word from them yet.
We are so concerned now and, of course, have been scouring every list of casualties that we see online and on the news. There is some solace in not seeing our friends name on the list but now we are worried that he has been injured. At this point, we're thinking of now calling the hospitals to see if in fact he was injured.
Once again, thx for the prayers and concern.
When somethin hits so close to our home (live in north hills) the ripple effect goes thru the neighborhood. My prayers are for all the families and survivors of this horrific crash
Sadly, our family has been close friends with the Villalobos family for about 30 years. We saw Gonzalo and Bolyn Villalobos give birth to their 3 beautiful children, their middle child being Maria Elena Villalobos. They are a beautiful family who raised beautiful children and the heartbreak of the loss of their 18 year old daughter is just beyond comprhension. Tragically, she was sitting in the first cab of the train that was impacted the worst. She had been a straight A student at Moorepark High and just began her first semester at the Fashion Institute in Los Angeles. She was commuting home from school. My heart breaks for all the victims of that senseless crash and our prayers are forever with the Villalobos family as their loss will be felt for a lifetime. God Bless.
We couldn't believe the pictures unfolding on the special news reports. I just kept thinking of all the people who were happy it was Friday and that they were almost home. I kept thinking of the loved ones waiting. I echo the wishes you so eloquently expressed.
Love to the victims and those left behind.
Gary, It is been a horrifying weekend for so many as they waited for their loved ones to be pulled out of the wreckage.
Dinah, Unfortunately I have to update the list as the events unfold.
Stacey, I know when an accident like this happens it awakens all of us to the regular daily life routines. Take care.
Donne, That is so terrifying. Please let us know if you find his location or any news on him.
James, Yes it does. We can all feel the loss and pain.
Michelle, Such a young and beautiful life with lots of promises. My thoughts and prayers go to the Villalobos family.
Elaine, I felt the same and hoped the number of injured and those who passed would stay low.
Mana,
What a nice tribute. It's such a sad situation, I feel for all the families, of those injured and those who lost loved ones. And, as for the rescue works...I'm praying for them too.
we watched in horor and anticpation that the numbers would be low and everyone would be ok... thanks for a great tribute
What a horrible tragedy, Mana. I'm sorry for those that lost their lives and thankful the number wasn't much higher. Wonderful tribute!
Lynda, Thank you. Right now they all can use our prayers.
Thesa, So did we and I pray that those who are critically injured get better soon.
Jesse, Thank you. We are all thankful the number was not higher. So many people have been using the Metrolink due to the high gas prices.
Mana, THANK YOU so much for this. SO beautifully portrayed and worded, I was considering a post such as this myself, but you touched it ways I never could.
As a community, most of us in this area know people who were either killed or injured in this terrible tragedy. Our thoughts, love & prayers are with them and their families.
Connie, Thank you my friend. As a community we also need to all come together and help each other in times like these.
As Connie said above, thank you Mana for the wonderful tribute. My heart, thoughts, and prayers also go out to the families and survivors. Such a tragedy.
I just heard on the news that they're not positive, but the engineer of the train may have been text messaging when the train ran a stop signal, crashing into the oncoming freight engine,
A reminder that text messaging (or using a cell phone, bluetooth, or whatever) while operating any vehicle or heavy equipment is very dangerous!
Denise, I also read that Verizon has till this Saturday to provide the investigators with the required information. What a sad tragedy!!!