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May 14, 2015
Amtrak Train Was Going Over 100mph Into Curve Before Derailment
Amtrak train's speed the cause of the derailment?
Amtrak Train Was Going Over 100mph Into Curve Before Derailment
An Amtrak engineer barreled into a sharp turn at 106 mph — double the speed limit — just seconds before a derailment that left seven dead and nearly every other passenger injured in Philadelphia, authorities said on Wednesday.
Engineer Brandon Bostian, of Forest Hills, Queens, was reportedly at the controls of the Penn Station-bound train.
The engineer slammed on the emergency brakes moments before Tuesday night’s disaster, but could only reduce the speed to 102 mph before all seven cars jumped the tracks, said Nation Transportation Safety Board spokesman Robert Sumwalt.
“The maximum authorized speed through this curve was 50 mph,” he said.
Bostian briefly spoke to police after the derailment, and told them he could not recall his speed — but the engineer then quickly got a lawyer and clammed up, according to CNN.
He refused to be interviewed by investigators Wednesday and left the police station with his attorney.
Investigators were attempting to get a search warrant for Bostian’s phone records in a bid to learn if he was distracted when the train derailed, CNN said.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said the engineer was out of control.
“There’s no way in the world that he should have been going that fast into the curve,” Nutter told CNN. “Clearly he was reckless and irresponsible in his actions.”
Surveillance video from a nearby industrial building captured an explosion as the speeding train derailed — and turned into a horror show of twisted wreckage and bloodied passengers.
Those killed in the tragedy include a former Queens valedictorian; a father of two who worked for The Associated Press; a Manhattan mom who was CEO of a tech company; a dean at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn; and an executive at Wells Fargo.
The crash between the North Philadelphia and Cornwells Heights stations also left 200 passengers injured, including eight in critical condition.
There were a total of 243 people on the train, including five crew members.
The train’s black box was recovered from the locomotive and is being examined by the NTSB.
Wild Thing's comment.............
This is all so sad. Prayers for these victims.
Posted by Wild Thing at May 14, 2015 12:50 AM
Comments
It's Republican's fault it was traveling twice the posted speed for the curve.
Posted by: BobF at May 14, 2015 07:03 AM
