NYC Train Derailment Leaves 4 Dead, 63 Injured
Four people are dead and 63 seriously injured after a Metro North train derailed in the Bronx on Sunday, just outside of the Spuyten Duyvil Station. The derailment caused all of the train’s seven cars to topple over and left the lead car just inches from the icy Hudson River. NY Governor Andrew Cuomo told NBC’s “Today” show that he suspects excessive speed will turn out to be a factor in the tragic crash. The accident happened on a sharp curve just 10 miles from its destination – Manhattan’s Grand Central Station.
New sources report that the train had departed Poughkeepsie when it jumped the tracks at about 7:20 a.m. on December 1. The engineer at the controls – a 20-year MTA veteran — told officials that he applied the brakes, but the locomotive failed to slow down as it approached the sharp bend just north of the Spuyten Duyvil station.
NYC train derailment
About 150 people were aboard the train when it derailed, causing passengers to fly about like ragdolls, and ejecting some through broken windows. Joe Bruno, New York’s commissioner of emergency management, confirmed that of the 63 injured, 11 passengers remain in critical condition.
Forty-three year-old Samuel Rivera of Westchester County was among the most seriously injured, suffering a spinal cord injury. “We don’t know if he’ll ever walk again,” said family friend Maria Ojito, while visiting Rivera at St. Barnabas Hospital. Numerous survivors say the train was traveling much too fast to take the curve safely, but until data is recovered from the train’s black box, investigators are unable to accurately determine the cause of the accident.
Governor Andrew Cuomo told CNN, “The trains are going about 70 miles per hour coming down the straight part of the track. They slow to about 30 miles per hour to make that sharp curve … where the Hudson River meets the Harlem River and that is a difficult area of the track.” The National Transportation Safety Board is currently at the scene and will be investigating the crash over the next week to examine track conditions, mechanical equipment and the performance of the train crew.
This past July, another train derailment happened in the same area when a CSX freight train jumped the tracks. The MTA says the tracks were thoroughly examined following that accident and no flaws were evident, but officials will be looking at all clues to find the source of the December 1 derailment. This is especially crucial considering the Metro-North Hudson line is the second busiest U.S. commuter railroad in terms of monthly ridership.
Governor Cuomo said that investigators are still trying to determine if the train’s speed was a result of operator error or a mechanical issue. Of touring the scene of the gruesome crash, Cuomo recalled, “One minute everything is fine and the next minute we lost New Yorkers in a really tragic and violent way.”
New York personal injury lawyers
The Sanders Firm offers their sincere condolences to everyone who was involved in this tragic public transit accident. One of New York’s leading personal injury firms, Sanders has provided legal advocacy for victims of MTA accidents for more than 40 years, helping injured parties recover fair compensation and a measure of justice.
If you or someone you love was injured in the New York metro train accident, there is a limited amount time to file a claim for damages. Our legal team can help explain the special procedures needed to recover compensation from public transportation agencies that may be held liable if mechanical failures or human error played a role in the crash. Call 1.800 FAIR PLAY for your free legal evaluation with New York personal injury lawyers – there is never any fee unless we secure compensation on your behalf.
