An Amtrak Northeast Regional Train crashed in Philadelphia, killing at least seven people, was traveling at 106 mph before it ran careened off the tracks along a sharp curve where the speed limit drops to just 50 mph. 238 passengers and five crew members were on the train when it crashed around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. According to Robert Sumwalt, of the National Transportation Safety Board, the engineer attempted to apply the emergency brakes moments before the crash, but the train slowed to only 102 mph by the time the locomotive’s black box stopped recording data. Sumwalt added that the speed limit just before the bend is 80 mph. The engineer, whose name has not been released as of yet, declined to give a statement to police investigators and left the East Detectives Division with a lawyer. Federal accident investigators still want to get his side of the story, but will give him a day or two to recover from the shock. Mayor Michael Nutter stated that there was “no way in the world” the engineer should have been going that fast into the curve.
More than 200 people aboard the Washington-to-New York train were injured in the wreck, which happened in a run-down industrial neighborhood not far from the Delaware River. Dozens of passengers were transported to area hospitals. Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia received fifty-four patients, including one who passed away overnight due to a massive chest injury, said Dr. Herbert E. Cushing, the chief medical officer. They included people from Spain, Belgium, Germany, Albania and India. It is considered to be the nation’s deadliest train crash in nearly seven years. Amtrak suspended all service until further notice along the Philadelphia-to-New York route as investigators continue to examine the wreckage and gather evidence. The spur of the moment shutdown has snarled the commute and forced thousands of people to find other ways to reach their destinations. The dead included a video software architect for The Associated Press, CEO of an educational startup, a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy and a Wells Fargo executive. At least ten people remain hospitalized in critical condition. The investigation is still ongoing.
