MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) - A Long Island Rail Road engineer and the passenger he allegedly let drive a train carrying almost 400 riders during rush hour at speeds of up to 80 mph are facing reckless endangerment charges. The engineer has also been charged with official misconduct.

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced the charges Wednesday against William Kutsch of East Setauket and engineer Ronald Cabrera of Centereach. The men's actions created "a substantial risk of serious physical injury" to riders and people in the communities the train passed through, she said.

"It's just unconscionable that you could take that many lives in your hands," she said. "The amount of tragedy that could have resulted, you can't even quantify it. It's staggering."

Rice's office started investigating after receiving reports that Kutsch, 47, had been in the control cabin of the Queens-bound train on the morning of July 2. Witnesses told authorities that Cabrera, 40, was standing in the aisle instead of driving the 500-ton diesel-powered, double-decker train.

Rice said that train didn't have an autopilot function and required someone to be at the controls in the cabin to keep the dead man's pedal from stopping the train. Another LIRR employee who saw Cabrera outside the cabin assumed a trainee was driving, she said. Kutsch, a court reporter, does not have an engineer's license or any training in driving trains.

Kali Holloway, spokeswoman for the office of court administration of the New York state courts, said Kutsch had been employed with the courts since 1985, and his title was senior court reporter.

The reckless endangerment charge is a misdemeanor that carries a penalty of up to a year in jail. Peter Thomas, Kutsch's attorney, said his client was "confident he'll be vindicated."

William Keahon, Cabrera's attorney, declined to comment.

The train passed over multiple car crossings and one pedestrian crossing, and Rice said Kutsch was at the controls for 24 miles.

The LIRR said disciplinary proceedings against Cabrera are under way and could result in termination. He was removed from service the day of the incident after the commuter rail found out about the allegation.

Rice said her office would be making recommendations to the Metropolitan Transporation Authority, which operates the LIRR, on how to prevent something like this from happening again.