Amtrak train that derailed in Pennsylvania hit backhoe while going 106 mph

The Amtrak train that derailed near Philadelphia on Sunday.
(Image credit: Mark Makela/Getty Images)

The Amtrak train that derailed near Philadelphia on Sunday hit a backhoe on the track while going 106 miles per hour, federal and local officials said Monday.

The train was in a 110 mph zone when it struck the backhoe, and the impact derailed the engine of the train, The Associated Press reports. Backhoe operator Joseph Carter Jr, 61, and track supervisor Peter Adamovich, 59, both died of blunt force trauma, and more than 30 passengers sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The National Transportation Safety Board said the emergency brakes were applied by the engineer five seconds before impact, and an NTSB investigator said work crews will be interviewed on Tuesday.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.