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Marine Helicopter Crash Under Investigation; Homicide Charge Likely in California Train Crash

Aired January 26, 2005 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The aim allegedly was suicide, but homicide will be the charge in the tangled wake of this morning's multiple crashes and derailment of commuter trains north of Los Angeles. Ten people are dead, but the man who parked his SUV on the tracks and supposedly waited for death is not among them.
CNN's Chris Wolfe has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS WOLFE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This chaotic scene near Los Angeles was caused by someone who had deliberately parked a car on the railroad tracks. That's according to the county sheriff.

LEE BACA, LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF: Anyone that gets near these trains at a railroad crossing ought to know darn well that you don't put your car on the track and put yourself in harm's way and put all these passengers in harm's way. This is a complete outrage.

WOLFE: When a southbound Metrolink train hit the car at a railroad crossing in Glendale soon after 6:00 a.m., it started a chain reaction. Police say the train derailed, colliding with a northbound Metrolink chain and then it knocked over a Union Pacific train parked nearby.

STEPHANIE DAVENPORT, METROLINK PASSENGER: We were thrown from our seats. I held on to him for dear life.

DAVID MORRISON, METROLINK PASSENGER: When I got out and looked around, I looked to my left and I could see that the front car had hit something, because it was perpendicular to the track and the very front of it was on fire. The next car was jackknifed at about a 45- degree angle.

WOLFE: Rush hour in the Los Angeles area became gridlocked, as rescue crews from multiple agencies converged on the scene for the search-and-rescue operations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The area that we're concerned about is that area that's severely damaged and have to do the heavy rescue operations to make those searches.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Like someone punching you in the heart. A Marine at California's Camp Pendleton reacts to the helicopter crash overnight on a fog shrouded desert in Iraq, 30 Marines, one sailor on board, so-called Super Stallion transport craft, they're all dead and the cause is still undetermined.

Hostile fire seems less likely than weather, though. Hostilities did claim American lives elsewhere in Iraq, making this the deadliest single day for U.S. forces since the war began.

We get the latest from CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, this deadly accident occurred in western Iraq, not too far from the border with Jordan. According to U.S. officials, it was a night operation, a routine operation in support of the upcoming Iraqi elections.

Just about an hour ago, Lieutenant General John Sattler, the commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, issued a brief statement about the accident.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GEN. JOHN SATTLER, COMMANDER, 1ST MARINE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE: Early this morning, 30 Marines and one sailor from the 1st Marine Division and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force died when their CH-53 Echo Super Stallion helicopter crashed near Ar Rutbah, Al Anbar Province here in Iraq.

The force was conducting security stability operations at the time of the crash. All Marines, sailors, soldiers and airmen of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force mourn the tragic loss of our brothers in arms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Now, the CH-53 made by Sikorsky is a workhorse of the U.S. Army, Navy and Marine fleet. It's -- this particular helicopter is used all the time. In fact, this one we're seeing here is one that I flew in just last week when I was on an aerial tour of Banda Aceh in Indonesia, along with the deputy defense secretary.

They're routinely used for operations. They've been around for a long time. And the E version, as you heard him say, the CH-53E is the up-to-date version with a bigger engines and more capacity. At this point, it does appear that this was not a result of hostile fire, but that is something that hasn't been ruled out, as we heard from the commander of all U.S. forces in Iraq, who was on Capitol Hill this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. JOHN ABIZAID, CMDR., U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: Of course, our condolences go out to the families of those young Marines that were killed in the crash, 31 on board that we know of. We don't believe that there were any survivors out in the area of Ar Rutbah, which is in western Iraq. The weather was bad. We don't know of any enemy action. And the investigation continues. There will have to be more that comes out of this to learn what happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Again, apparently this accident happened at night, assuming it is an accident. When U.S. crews got to the area, they said there was heavy fog. That could have been a factor. But, again, at this early point, nothing is being ruled out -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Jamie, as you said, you had a chance to fly on one of these Super Stallions. Give folks a sense of the scale of this particular helicopter. It is the largest helicopter in the West.

MCINTYRE: Well, it is large for a helicopter, although, for an aircraft -- and we had just come off a C-17 when we got on one of these. It's certainly not as big as some of the big cargo planes. But for a helicopter, it's quite roomy.

And it has a real heavy-lift capacity. In fact, it's one of the few helicopters that can lift its own weight. A short time ago, there was an accident involving a Harrier jump jet off one of the aircraft carriers in -- the small carriers in the Asia theater. And one of these helicopters was able to lift the Harrier jet to recovery. That gives you the idea of the strength. Again, heavy-lift helicopter, been around for quite a while. The earlier versions were used even during the Vietnam era.

And this is a more up-to-date version. Again, no reason for the crash at this time. Coincidentally, by the way, Miles, one of these helicopters also crashed yesterday off the coast of Norfolk. In that case, eight military personnel were fished out of the water by a Coast Guard rescue craft and they've all survived.

O'BRIEN: Which raises the question, the maintenance and safety record on these helicopters pretty good?

MCINTYRE: Well, they've been very good. And whenever you have a couple accidents like this right in a row, it always raises some alarms about whether there's something going on. They will do a review of that. If they believe that there's anything -- any similarities between these accidents or any explanation that might be related to a mechanical malfunction, they would have what's called a safety stand-down and review what's going on with the helicopters.

But, at this point, there's no indication there's any common thread or any unusual incidents of accidents. Of course, if it turns out that this is pilot error, as opposed to a malfunction, then of course there would be no reason to ground the fleet.

O'BRIEN: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thank you very much.

Also today in Iraq, insurgents carried out a flurry of car bomb attacks. Three such attacks took place near Riyadh, north of Baghdad, killing five. Also, the Associated Press is reporting a suicide truck bombing apparently aimed at a Kurdish political party in Mosul. Five are dead in that, according to the AP. Other reports say 15 are dead. In Baghdad, a city councilman was killed this morning in a drive-by shooting, one of several armed attacks against political targets. And in the midst of all of this violence, today, Iraqi officials lengthened the existing curfew by one hour for the upcoming election weekend.

In our next segment, General Don Shepperd will join us. He will talk about security for the Iraqi election and the deadly crash of that Marine helicopter.

PHILLIPS: Other news across America now.

Hoping to avoid disaster, authorities in Southern California have evacuated half a dozen homes. Those homes sit at the foot of a steep slope that could become saturated by rain today. That slope has been slipping in recent days. Weeks ago, a bluff collapsed in heavy rainstorms, killing 10 people in that area.

A harrowing accident today in Maryland. A tractor-trailer flipped over a guard rail on Interstate 95, landing upside down in an icy ravine. Rescue workers lifted the driver to safety in a basket. That driver survived, suffering a broken leg.

Renowned architect Philip Johnson has died. Johnson designed Manhattan's AT&T Building, now owned by Sony, the Crystal Cathedral in California, and his celebrated glass house, where he died yesterday at the age of 98.

Straight ahead, the closer it gets, the deadlier things become. With Iraqi elections just four days away, what's being done to maximize security for voters? More on protecting this historic event with our General Don Shepperd.

And will Wall Streeters be making those trades in their jammies? Well, some are bullish about ringing that opening bell as much as two hours earlier.

An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but it's a red flag as far as some British cops are concerned. I'm telling you, not since Eve or maybe Snow White has a piece of fruit caused such a ruckus.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER UPDATE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Let's bring you up to date on what happened this morning in Southern California in Glendale, a commuter train accident; 10 are dead. More than 100 are injured in the wake of this. Police are now saying it was an attempted suicide. And they have released the name of the suspect, who is now in custody, charged, in fact, with multiple counts of homicide.

Juan Manuel Alvarez apparently parked his sport utility vehicle on the tracks for that particular commuter rail train in Glendale, had a change of heart about his suicide intentions, fled the vehicle just before the train came, causing the mess you see here, the fatalities and the injuries.

We heard from the chief of the Glendale Police Department, Randy Adams, just a few minutes ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANDY ADAMS, GLENDALE POLICE CHIEF: Announce at this time that Mr. Alvarez has been arrested and has been charged or will be charged with at least 10 counts of murder. He currently was treated for superficial wounds I believe at the USC Medical Center, and has been transported and is being booked as we speak at the Glendale Police Department.

His date of birth, in case you do not have it, is February...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: All right, that's Randy Adams, the chief of the Glendale Police Department, telling us that Juan Manuel Alvarez now facing murder charges as a result of this morning's accident on commuter lines in Southern California -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, four days before they're supposed to help secure the national election, U.S. troops have suffered their deadliest day of the Iraq war; 37 have died, 31 in a single helicopter accident, and six in hostilities elsewhere.

How effectively can U.S. forces protect voters and when might the troops come home?

Let's bring in CNN military analyst. Retired Air Force Major General Don Shepperd joins us on set today.

Good to have you with us.

RETIRED MAJOR GEN. DONALD SHEPPERD, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: My pleasure, Kyra.

O'BRIEN: Well, let's talk about the Marine helo, the sea Stallion. What do you know so far about the crash investigation?

SHEPPERD: What we've heard so far is, it's unlikely that it is enemy action that brought it down. There was bad weather in the area. That brings up the possibility of mechanical failure, pilot error. It's a tough flying environment over there. This happened at 1:25 in the morning in bad weather. You have always got the possibility of brownouts in a desert. Helicopters fly low all the time. It's a dangerous machine, and a terrible incident happened.

PHILLIPS: And they were heading, from what I understand, to just one of the polling areas for the elections, to help secure the elections.

Let's talk about the security of the elections. I'm just curious. Right now, would you tell an Iraqi family to go vote?

SHEPPERD: I would tell my Iraqi family in Iraq to go vote as a matter of courage, but to be very careful where they voted and be very cautious.

They're going to be attacks across the country. Some of them are going to be successful, no question about that. So it's a dangerous thing. No matter how many troops of ours or the Iraqis are out there to protect, it's still going to be dangerous. And some of the attacks are going to make it.

PHILLIPS: Now, there's a lot of training going on. I was listening to a report, actually, U.S. troops practicing on how to deal with the insurgency if they get into a polling area or a suicide bomber. Tell us specifically what U.S. troops are doing and then also Iraqi troops. Different training going on, right?

SHEPPERD: Right.

The basic idea is, the Iraqis protect the polling places. The American troops respond to attacks to help the Iraqis. And basically, what the training is going on, two different types of training, one, on ours, how to respond to help the Iraqis. The Iraqis themselves, how to identify insurgents, how to identify insurgent attempts to get into the polling places, how to identify suicide bombers, vehicle explosive devices, IEDs, and, of course, you always have to watch for rocket mortar attacks as well.

PHILLIPS: So, would insurgents want to go more for the voters, the long lines, the people, or just destroying the process, the ballots, the counting, the legalities and I guess the number of votes that have been made? Because you can't really have a fair election if they attack that vs. the voters, right?

SHEPPERD: My guess is that the insurgents are going to be after causing maximum number of casualties. If possible, they will insert suicide bombers into long lines to kill as many people as possible, to scatter others from the polls, to discourage others. And it's going to be a rough election in many places.

Probably OK in the north and south, with some successful attacks. Probably ugly in the Sunni Triangle and the Baghdad area.

PHILLIPS: So, what do you think. Is it going to happen? Is it going to -- what's your feeling with regard to the man, woman power there and what's taken place to far?

SHEPPERD: I think it's going to happen. I think the Iraqis overwhelmingly want it to happen. In many cases, they don't know what they're voting for or who they're voting for, but it's still an important point in their history to do this.

It's the first step toward a democracy and a free country, shedding themselves from Saddam, proceeding into the future. But it's going to be very, very rough. It's going to be imperfect, and I think some people are going to be killed across the country. PHILLIPS: Not very good news. General Shepperd, thanks for your time. You're going to be with us the next couple days and also after the elections, right?

SHEPPERD: I will.

PHILLIPS: Terrific. Thank you so much.

Well, rise and shine, sunshine. Would an earlier bell at the exchange change anything about the markets?

And an apple a day may keep the doctor away, but the police? Hardly. A woman caught red deliciously handed on the mean streets of the U.K. picks a whole bushel of trouble for herself and the local taxpayers.

LIVE FROM has got both hands on the wheel right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Confession time. You talk on the phone.

O'BRIEN: Is it confession time?

PHILLIPS: You do your e-mail.

O'BRIEN: Is it really? I didn't see that in the rundown. Confession time?

PHILLIPS: You're doing your palm pilot, all when you're driving, don't you?

O'BRIEN: Yes, until there have been a few instances where I've nearly struck brick walls and/or pedestrians. And that suddenly awakens me to the fact that this is really stupid.

PHILLIPS: So now he does it here at work during the newscast.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: Yes, I would have to talk to you.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: Oh.

O'BRIEN: And I don't want to do that.

PHILLIPS: I thought you loved me.

(FINANCIAL UPDATE)

O'BRIEN: Police in Sydney, Australia, were called to the home of actress Nicole Kidman this week. Oh, to be a police officer and get that call.

PHILLIPS: Oh, yes. You would be excited, wouldn't you?

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: I bet she gets rapid response. Put it that way.

PHILLIPS: She also gets stalked by paparazzis. And this is just another one vexing for celebrities down under.

Robert Ovadia with Sydney's Channel 7 News has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERT OVADIA, SYDNEY'S CHANNEL 7 NEWS (voice-over): There was movement outside the Kidman household but no Nicole. She stayed inside reeling from another intrusion into her private life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is undoubtedly concerned in regards to why this device may have been placed there.

OVADIA: It was hidden in a small garden opposite her luxury waterfront house where her security team is positioned.

(on camera): Does it surprise you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to say no comment.

OVADIA: Have you spoken to Nicole about it? How does she feel about it?

(voice-over): The device is a common FM transmitter, on sale legally for about $20.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's designed to be made up as an FM radio, not as a bug. But cheap bugs are literally FM radios with a microphone.

OVADIA: Kidman's security cameras captured this man lurking outside her house Sunday afternoon just before the device was found. One of her staff apparently recognized him as local paparazzi.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're currently enhancing that video footage and we hope that the man in that footage will assist us with our inquiries.

OVADIA: Lawyers for one Sydney photographer have already contacted the 7 network denying his involvement. Nicole Kidman has been stung before by a listening device when a man recorded and released an intensely private phone conversation between herself and former husband Tom Cruise. She'll remain in Sydney before filming Eucalyptus with Russell Crowe. It's not the sort of homecoming she was hoping for.

(on camera): Nicole Kidman describes the paparazzi in Australia as among the worst in the world. She's promised to continue her cooperation with local police until the man who planted the transmitter is found. Robert Ovadia, 7 News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, it wasn't a cell phone that got a motorist in trouble.

O'BRIEN: Yes. I think it was something a little different.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: BlackBerrys get me in trouble, phones, computers, distractions.

PHILLIPS: Me.

O'BRIEN: Anything but the task at hand.

In this case, turns out it was a simple apple.

ITN's Martin Geissler get to the core of the issue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN GEISSLER, ITN REPORTER (voice-over): When this forbidden fruit tempted Sarah McCaffrey, the police stopped her car and fined her 30 pounds. She refused to pay up, so Northumbria's finest and the Crown prosecution service stepped things up a gear.

They ordered a helicopter and an airplane to video and photograph her route and a police patrol car to do the same. The total cost of the prosecution is thought to have reached a staggering 10,000 pounds.

(on camera): They say every convicted offender has made at least one crucial mistake. Sarah McCaffrey's was skipping breakfast. On her way to work in a nursery 13 months ago, she drove down this road. What happened next is far too dangerous to demonstrate on the move. Let's pull over.

Sarah was in possession of an apple at the steering wheel. A policeman spotted her and pulled her over straight away. He told her these and these are an unacceptable combination. She disagreed. She fought the law, but the law won.

(voice-over): It took them more than a year and 10 court appearances, but they had her fine increased from 30 to 60 pounds. All good work for her lawyer, but work he says he should never had.

GEOFFREY FORRESTER, ATTORNEY FOR SARAH MCCAFFREY: If you think, well, this is silly, you have got the right to say that without having the full resources of the state then descend upon you by way of helicopters, airplanes, patrol cars, videos and the like, resources which you would like to think would be deployed against criminals.

GEISSLER: Road safety campaigners don't necessarily agree. Either way, it's a cautionary tale. Keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the wheel or the powers that be can squeeze you until your pips squeak.

Martin Geissler, ITV News, on Tyneside.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Wow. Forget William Tell.

All right. That wraps up this edition of LIVE FROM.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired January 26, 2005 - 15:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The aim allegedly was suicide, but homicide will be the charge in the tangled wake of this morning's multiple crashes and derailment of commuter trains north of Los Angeles. Ten people are dead, but the man who parked his SUV on the tracks and supposedly waited for death is not among them.
CNN's Chris Wolfe has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS WOLFE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This chaotic scene near Los Angeles was caused by someone who had deliberately parked a car on the railroad tracks. That's according to the county sheriff.

LEE BACA, LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF: Anyone that gets near these trains at a railroad crossing ought to know darn well that you don't put your car on the track and put yourself in harm's way and put all these passengers in harm's way. This is a complete outrage.

WOLFE: When a southbound Metrolink train hit the car at a railroad crossing in Glendale soon after 6:00 a.m., it started a chain reaction. Police say the train derailed, colliding with a northbound Metrolink chain and then it knocked over a Union Pacific train parked nearby.

STEPHANIE DAVENPORT, METROLINK PASSENGER: We were thrown from our seats. I held on to him for dear life.

DAVID MORRISON, METROLINK PASSENGER: When I got out and looked around, I looked to my left and I could see that the front car had hit something, because it was perpendicular to the track and the very front of it was on fire. The next car was jackknifed at about a 45- degree angle.

WOLFE: Rush hour in the Los Angeles area became gridlocked, as rescue crews from multiple agencies converged on the scene for the search-and-rescue operations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The area that we're concerned about is that area that's severely damaged and have to do the heavy rescue operations to make those searches.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Like someone punching you in the heart. A Marine at California's Camp Pendleton reacts to the helicopter crash overnight on a fog shrouded desert in Iraq, 30 Marines, one sailor on board, so-called Super Stallion transport craft, they're all dead and the cause is still undetermined.

Hostile fire seems less likely than weather, though. Hostilities did claim American lives elsewhere in Iraq, making this the deadliest single day for U.S. forces since the war began.

We get the latest from CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, this deadly accident occurred in western Iraq, not too far from the border with Jordan. According to U.S. officials, it was a night operation, a routine operation in support of the upcoming Iraqi elections.

Just about an hour ago, Lieutenant General John Sattler, the commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, issued a brief statement about the accident.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GEN. JOHN SATTLER, COMMANDER, 1ST MARINE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE: Early this morning, 30 Marines and one sailor from the 1st Marine Division and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force died when their CH-53 Echo Super Stallion helicopter crashed near Ar Rutbah, Al Anbar Province here in Iraq.

The force was conducting security stability operations at the time of the crash. All Marines, sailors, soldiers and airmen of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force mourn the tragic loss of our brothers in arms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Now, the CH-53 made by Sikorsky is a workhorse of the U.S. Army, Navy and Marine fleet. It's -- this particular helicopter is used all the time. In fact, this one we're seeing here is one that I flew in just last week when I was on an aerial tour of Banda Aceh in Indonesia, along with the deputy defense secretary.

They're routinely used for operations. They've been around for a long time. And the E version, as you heard him say, the CH-53E is the up-to-date version with a bigger engines and more capacity. At this point, it does appear that this was not a result of hostile fire, but that is something that hasn't been ruled out, as we heard from the commander of all U.S. forces in Iraq, who was on Capitol Hill this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. JOHN ABIZAID, CMDR., U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: Of course, our condolences go out to the families of those young Marines that were killed in the crash, 31 on board that we know of. We don't believe that there were any survivors out in the area of Ar Rutbah, which is in western Iraq. The weather was bad. We don't know of any enemy action. And the investigation continues. There will have to be more that comes out of this to learn what happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Again, apparently this accident happened at night, assuming it is an accident. When U.S. crews got to the area, they said there was heavy fog. That could have been a factor. But, again, at this early point, nothing is being ruled out -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Jamie, as you said, you had a chance to fly on one of these Super Stallions. Give folks a sense of the scale of this particular helicopter. It is the largest helicopter in the West.

MCINTYRE: Well, it is large for a helicopter, although, for an aircraft -- and we had just come off a C-17 when we got on one of these. It's certainly not as big as some of the big cargo planes. But for a helicopter, it's quite roomy.

And it has a real heavy-lift capacity. In fact, it's one of the few helicopters that can lift its own weight. A short time ago, there was an accident involving a Harrier jump jet off one of the aircraft carriers in -- the small carriers in the Asia theater. And one of these helicopters was able to lift the Harrier jet to recovery. That gives you the idea of the strength. Again, heavy-lift helicopter, been around for quite a while. The earlier versions were used even during the Vietnam era.

And this is a more up-to-date version. Again, no reason for the crash at this time. Coincidentally, by the way, Miles, one of these helicopters also crashed yesterday off the coast of Norfolk. In that case, eight military personnel were fished out of the water by a Coast Guard rescue craft and they've all survived.

O'BRIEN: Which raises the question, the maintenance and safety record on these helicopters pretty good?

MCINTYRE: Well, they've been very good. And whenever you have a couple accidents like this right in a row, it always raises some alarms about whether there's something going on. They will do a review of that. If they believe that there's anything -- any similarities between these accidents or any explanation that might be related to a mechanical malfunction, they would have what's called a safety stand-down and review what's going on with the helicopters.

But, at this point, there's no indication there's any common thread or any unusual incidents of accidents. Of course, if it turns out that this is pilot error, as opposed to a malfunction, then of course there would be no reason to ground the fleet.

O'BRIEN: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thank you very much.

Also today in Iraq, insurgents carried out a flurry of car bomb attacks. Three such attacks took place near Riyadh, north of Baghdad, killing five. Also, the Associated Press is reporting a suicide truck bombing apparently aimed at a Kurdish political party in Mosul. Five are dead in that, according to the AP. Other reports say 15 are dead. In Baghdad, a city councilman was killed this morning in a drive-by shooting, one of several armed attacks against political targets. And in the midst of all of this violence, today, Iraqi officials lengthened the existing curfew by one hour for the upcoming election weekend.

In our next segment, General Don Shepperd will join us. He will talk about security for the Iraqi election and the deadly crash of that Marine helicopter.

PHILLIPS: Other news across America now.

Hoping to avoid disaster, authorities in Southern California have evacuated half a dozen homes. Those homes sit at the foot of a steep slope that could become saturated by rain today. That slope has been slipping in recent days. Weeks ago, a bluff collapsed in heavy rainstorms, killing 10 people in that area.

A harrowing accident today in Maryland. A tractor-trailer flipped over a guard rail on Interstate 95, landing upside down in an icy ravine. Rescue workers lifted the driver to safety in a basket. That driver survived, suffering a broken leg.

Renowned architect Philip Johnson has died. Johnson designed Manhattan's AT&T Building, now owned by Sony, the Crystal Cathedral in California, and his celebrated glass house, where he died yesterday at the age of 98.

Straight ahead, the closer it gets, the deadlier things become. With Iraqi elections just four days away, what's being done to maximize security for voters? More on protecting this historic event with our General Don Shepperd.

And will Wall Streeters be making those trades in their jammies? Well, some are bullish about ringing that opening bell as much as two hours earlier.

An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but it's a red flag as far as some British cops are concerned. I'm telling you, not since Eve or maybe Snow White has a piece of fruit caused such a ruckus.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER UPDATE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Let's bring you up to date on what happened this morning in Southern California in Glendale, a commuter train accident; 10 are dead. More than 100 are injured in the wake of this. Police are now saying it was an attempted suicide. And they have released the name of the suspect, who is now in custody, charged, in fact, with multiple counts of homicide.

Juan Manuel Alvarez apparently parked his sport utility vehicle on the tracks for that particular commuter rail train in Glendale, had a change of heart about his suicide intentions, fled the vehicle just before the train came, causing the mess you see here, the fatalities and the injuries.

We heard from the chief of the Glendale Police Department, Randy Adams, just a few minutes ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANDY ADAMS, GLENDALE POLICE CHIEF: Announce at this time that Mr. Alvarez has been arrested and has been charged or will be charged with at least 10 counts of murder. He currently was treated for superficial wounds I believe at the USC Medical Center, and has been transported and is being booked as we speak at the Glendale Police Department.

His date of birth, in case you do not have it, is February...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: All right, that's Randy Adams, the chief of the Glendale Police Department, telling us that Juan Manuel Alvarez now facing murder charges as a result of this morning's accident on commuter lines in Southern California -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, four days before they're supposed to help secure the national election, U.S. troops have suffered their deadliest day of the Iraq war; 37 have died, 31 in a single helicopter accident, and six in hostilities elsewhere.

How effectively can U.S. forces protect voters and when might the troops come home?

Let's bring in CNN military analyst. Retired Air Force Major General Don Shepperd joins us on set today.

Good to have you with us.

RETIRED MAJOR GEN. DONALD SHEPPERD, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: My pleasure, Kyra.

O'BRIEN: Well, let's talk about the Marine helo, the sea Stallion. What do you know so far about the crash investigation?

SHEPPERD: What we've heard so far is, it's unlikely that it is enemy action that brought it down. There was bad weather in the area. That brings up the possibility of mechanical failure, pilot error. It's a tough flying environment over there. This happened at 1:25 in the morning in bad weather. You have always got the possibility of brownouts in a desert. Helicopters fly low all the time. It's a dangerous machine, and a terrible incident happened.

PHILLIPS: And they were heading, from what I understand, to just one of the polling areas for the elections, to help secure the elections.

Let's talk about the security of the elections. I'm just curious. Right now, would you tell an Iraqi family to go vote?

SHEPPERD: I would tell my Iraqi family in Iraq to go vote as a matter of courage, but to be very careful where they voted and be very cautious.

They're going to be attacks across the country. Some of them are going to be successful, no question about that. So it's a dangerous thing. No matter how many troops of ours or the Iraqis are out there to protect, it's still going to be dangerous. And some of the attacks are going to make it.

PHILLIPS: Now, there's a lot of training going on. I was listening to a report, actually, U.S. troops practicing on how to deal with the insurgency if they get into a polling area or a suicide bomber. Tell us specifically what U.S. troops are doing and then also Iraqi troops. Different training going on, right?

SHEPPERD: Right.

The basic idea is, the Iraqis protect the polling places. The American troops respond to attacks to help the Iraqis. And basically, what the training is going on, two different types of training, one, on ours, how to respond to help the Iraqis. The Iraqis themselves, how to identify insurgents, how to identify insurgent attempts to get into the polling places, how to identify suicide bombers, vehicle explosive devices, IEDs, and, of course, you always have to watch for rocket mortar attacks as well.

PHILLIPS: So, would insurgents want to go more for the voters, the long lines, the people, or just destroying the process, the ballots, the counting, the legalities and I guess the number of votes that have been made? Because you can't really have a fair election if they attack that vs. the voters, right?

SHEPPERD: My guess is that the insurgents are going to be after causing maximum number of casualties. If possible, they will insert suicide bombers into long lines to kill as many people as possible, to scatter others from the polls, to discourage others. And it's going to be a rough election in many places.

Probably OK in the north and south, with some successful attacks. Probably ugly in the Sunni Triangle and the Baghdad area.

PHILLIPS: So, what do you think. Is it going to happen? Is it going to -- what's your feeling with regard to the man, woman power there and what's taken place to far?

SHEPPERD: I think it's going to happen. I think the Iraqis overwhelmingly want it to happen. In many cases, they don't know what they're voting for or who they're voting for, but it's still an important point in their history to do this.

It's the first step toward a democracy and a free country, shedding themselves from Saddam, proceeding into the future. But it's going to be very, very rough. It's going to be imperfect, and I think some people are going to be killed across the country. PHILLIPS: Not very good news. General Shepperd, thanks for your time. You're going to be with us the next couple days and also after the elections, right?

SHEPPERD: I will.

PHILLIPS: Terrific. Thank you so much.

Well, rise and shine, sunshine. Would an earlier bell at the exchange change anything about the markets?

And an apple a day may keep the doctor away, but the police? Hardly. A woman caught red deliciously handed on the mean streets of the U.K. picks a whole bushel of trouble for herself and the local taxpayers.

LIVE FROM has got both hands on the wheel right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Confession time. You talk on the phone.

O'BRIEN: Is it confession time?

PHILLIPS: You do your e-mail.

O'BRIEN: Is it really? I didn't see that in the rundown. Confession time?

PHILLIPS: You're doing your palm pilot, all when you're driving, don't you?

O'BRIEN: Yes, until there have been a few instances where I've nearly struck brick walls and/or pedestrians. And that suddenly awakens me to the fact that this is really stupid.

PHILLIPS: So now he does it here at work during the newscast.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: Yes, I would have to talk to you.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: Oh.

O'BRIEN: And I don't want to do that.

PHILLIPS: I thought you loved me.

(FINANCIAL UPDATE)

O'BRIEN: Police in Sydney, Australia, were called to the home of actress Nicole Kidman this week. Oh, to be a police officer and get that call.

PHILLIPS: Oh, yes. You would be excited, wouldn't you?

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: I bet she gets rapid response. Put it that way.

PHILLIPS: She also gets stalked by paparazzis. And this is just another one vexing for celebrities down under.

Robert Ovadia with Sydney's Channel 7 News has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERT OVADIA, SYDNEY'S CHANNEL 7 NEWS (voice-over): There was movement outside the Kidman household but no Nicole. She stayed inside reeling from another intrusion into her private life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is undoubtedly concerned in regards to why this device may have been placed there.

OVADIA: It was hidden in a small garden opposite her luxury waterfront house where her security team is positioned.

(on camera): Does it surprise you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to say no comment.

OVADIA: Have you spoken to Nicole about it? How does she feel about it?

(voice-over): The device is a common FM transmitter, on sale legally for about $20.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's designed to be made up as an FM radio, not as a bug. But cheap bugs are literally FM radios with a microphone.

OVADIA: Kidman's security cameras captured this man lurking outside her house Sunday afternoon just before the device was found. One of her staff apparently recognized him as local paparazzi.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're currently enhancing that video footage and we hope that the man in that footage will assist us with our inquiries.

OVADIA: Lawyers for one Sydney photographer have already contacted the 7 network denying his involvement. Nicole Kidman has been stung before by a listening device when a man recorded and released an intensely private phone conversation between herself and former husband Tom Cruise. She'll remain in Sydney before filming Eucalyptus with Russell Crowe. It's not the sort of homecoming she was hoping for.

(on camera): Nicole Kidman describes the paparazzi in Australia as among the worst in the world. She's promised to continue her cooperation with local police until the man who planted the transmitter is found. Robert Ovadia, 7 News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, it wasn't a cell phone that got a motorist in trouble.

O'BRIEN: Yes. I think it was something a little different.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: BlackBerrys get me in trouble, phones, computers, distractions.

PHILLIPS: Me.

O'BRIEN: Anything but the task at hand.

In this case, turns out it was a simple apple.

ITN's Martin Geissler get to the core of the issue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN GEISSLER, ITN REPORTER (voice-over): When this forbidden fruit tempted Sarah McCaffrey, the police stopped her car and fined her 30 pounds. She refused to pay up, so Northumbria's finest and the Crown prosecution service stepped things up a gear.

They ordered a helicopter and an airplane to video and photograph her route and a police patrol car to do the same. The total cost of the prosecution is thought to have reached a staggering 10,000 pounds.

(on camera): They say every convicted offender has made at least one crucial mistake. Sarah McCaffrey's was skipping breakfast. On her way to work in a nursery 13 months ago, she drove down this road. What happened next is far too dangerous to demonstrate on the move. Let's pull over.

Sarah was in possession of an apple at the steering wheel. A policeman spotted her and pulled her over straight away. He told her these and these are an unacceptable combination. She disagreed. She fought the law, but the law won.

(voice-over): It took them more than a year and 10 court appearances, but they had her fine increased from 30 to 60 pounds. All good work for her lawyer, but work he says he should never had.

GEOFFREY FORRESTER, ATTORNEY FOR SARAH MCCAFFREY: If you think, well, this is silly, you have got the right to say that without having the full resources of the state then descend upon you by way of helicopters, airplanes, patrol cars, videos and the like, resources which you would like to think would be deployed against criminals.

GEISSLER: Road safety campaigners don't necessarily agree. Either way, it's a cautionary tale. Keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the wheel or the powers that be can squeeze you until your pips squeak.

Martin Geissler, ITV News, on Tyneside.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Wow. Forget William Tell.

All right. That wraps up this edition of LIVE FROM.

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