A New York City commuter train derailed Sunday, killing four and injuring more than sixty others. According to authorities, the train was rounding a riverside curve when it derailed and sent a chain of toppled cars falling away from the track, just inches from the water. There were between one-hundred and one-hundred-fifty passengers traveling on the early morning Metro-North train from Poughkeepsie into Manhattan. Many of these passengers were jolted from sleep around 7:20 a.m., as they heard screams and felt their compartment rolling over on the bend where the Hudson and Harlem rivers meet in the Bronx. Four or five of the seven cars left the rails. This accident was just the latest and deadliest example of troubles that the nation’s second-biggest commuter railroad has faced this past year.
Governor Andrew Cuomo spoke at a news conference Sunday about the accident. He expressed sadness for the loss of lives and further stated that the track did not appear to be faulty, so speed could have been the cause of the crash. The speed limit on the curve is 30 mph, but it is 70 mph in the area just before the curve. Metropolitan Transit Authority spokeswoman Marjorie Anders stated that the train’s data recorders should reveal the speed of the train just before the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to conduct a thorough investigation into what happened by looking at things like the train, the track, signal system, train operators and speed.
One of the passengers aboard the train stated that it appeared to be going a lot faster than usual as it approached the curve and another passenger described how he awoke to see people screaming, people being thrown across the train, gravel coming at him, and smoke and debris everywhere. A nearby resident said it sounded like a plane had crashed.
NYC train derailment kills 4, hurts more than 60, www.miamiherald.com December 01, 2013
Dozens of emergency crews arrived within minutes and transported passengers to nearby emergency vehicles on stretchers. Firefighters smashed windows to get inside the toppled cars and reach injured passengers, while police and other emergency crews searched the river and surrounding woods to see if anyone had been thrown into those areas. According to the Fire Department, eleven of the injured individuals were believed to be in critical condition and six in serious condition. The train operator was among the injured. According to MTA, three men and one woman were killed, but their identities had not yet been released and their families had not been notified. Three of the dead were found outside the train and one was found inside.
Train crashes can be some of the most dangerous and deadly accidents. If you or someone you know has sustained injuries in a train or metrorail crash, the Coral Gables motor vehicle accident attorneys at the Friedland | Carmona may be able to help you. The Miami trial attorneys have over twenty years of experience helping people injured in motor vehicle accidents recover compensation for their injuries and pain and suffering. Jonathan Friedland and Michael Carmona are dedicated to helping victims of metrorail accidents pick up the pieces after tragedy strikes. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in a motor vehicle accident, call (305) 661-2008 for your free consultation today.
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