Amtrak train that derailed in Pennsylvania hit backhoe while going 106 mph
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.
The train was headed from New York to Savannah, Georgia, when the incident occurred around 8 a.m. in Chester, Pennsylvania. Carter's union told AP that since March 1, three workers have been killed on the job while working along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
Political cartoons for November 1Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include insurance premiums, early voting in NYC, and more
-
Salted caramel and chocolate tart recipeThe Week Recommends Delicious dessert can be made with any biscuits you fancy
-
Meet Ireland’s new socialist presidentIn the Spotlight Landslide victory of former barrister and ‘outsider’ Catherine Connolly could ‘mark a turning point’ in anti-establishment politics
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
