Metro North Train Involved in Deadliest Crash in Railroad’s History

A Metro North train was recently involved in the deadliest crash in the history of the railroad as it made its regular pass through Westchester County on February 3. The train ran directly into an SUV that was stopped on the tracks at a crossing. The resulting crash led to a fiery explosion that killed seven people and injured a dozen more. Hundreds of people had to be evacuated from the train while responders rushed to the scene.

The driver of the SUV and six passengers in the front car of the train were killed in the accident. It is unclear exactly why the SUV was parked at the crossing. The crossing gates were down when the train hit the vehicle. The resulting fire completely consumed the SUV and the front car of the train. Governor Cuomo, who saw the aftermath of the accident, said that it was fortunate that more people were not killed.

Metro North has been the subject of a great deal of scrutiny within the last couple years. It had six deaths in the span of less than a year on its railroads from 2013 to 2014. The National Transportation Safety Board said that it would head up an investigation into this crash. Some witnesses, however, say that this particular accident seemed to be the fault of the SUV driver.

Later information revealed by the NTSB indicates that the train engineer tried to stop, and sounded the horn to warn the SUV driver, but it was too late. The train was also traveling at a proper speed and applied the emergency brakes before the collision.

The investigation into this accident is still in progress. To learn more about the steps to take after a train accident, speak with a dedicated New York personal injury lawyer at [ln::firm_name] right away.