According to "a source close to the probe" over at , the driver in Saturday's West Portal Muni smashup "told investigators he blacked out shortly before the accident." Oh oh. Another anonymous source -- a rider who asked to remain veiled under a shroud on anonymity because he was asked not to speak publicly about the crash, unless he wanted to kiss any sweet settlement money bye-bye -- told the Chron that the L-Taraval driver was "slumped" over the train controls after the crash. Hm. Anyway, regarding the driver, a background check and drug tests are currently underway, which won't be done for several weeks. Also, said driver's name won't be released just yet. The entire investigation, it seems, might take "12-18 months," which, oddly enough, is the same amount of time one waits for a L train outside West Portal Station for the Muni traffic to clear. Update: Or was it a blackout? According to reports, an "early switch to manual power In the train tunnel" might have been the culprit. That, or God is punishing San Franciscans for yet another sin we committed. Stay tuned.

SF Chronicle