GRIFFITH PARK : Children’s Ride on Track Again After Accident

Operations returned to normal Monday at a miniature train ride in Griffith Park where an accident Sunday blamed on human error caused minor injuries to 15 people.

The accident occurred after an engineer pulled his train away from a station early and it collided broadside with another miniature train on the same track as the two simultaneously reached the center of a figure-eight loop. Seven children and eight adults were slightly injured as they were tossed out of cars. All were treated and released from a hospital Sunday.

Officials on Monday said that Louie Narvaez, 21, the engineer blamed for the error, was slightly injured in the accident as he frantically stuck out his foot trying to stop his train just before the collision. Linda Barth , a management analyst at Griffith Park who coordinated the investigation, said officials today will recommend that a stationmaster be hired to control the arrival and departure of trains whenever more than one is in operation. The investigation concluded that the track and all mechanical equipment was in good working order.

Park officials said the accident was the first to occur on the loop track, which was built 45 years ago at the southeast end of the park near Crystal Springs Drive and Los Feliz Boulevard. About 500,000 passengers a year ride the miniature trains.