The investigation into this morning’s deadly crash of a New Jersey commuter train is focusing on why the train barreled into the busy station at a high rate of speed.
According to news sources, one person died and 108 others were injured when the train crashed through barriers and plowed into a platform inside the Hoboken terminal just before 9 a.m. ET. The fatality involved a woman who was standing on the platform when the incident occurred. Area hospitals reported that some passengers they treated suffered serious injuries, including fractures.
Critical but cooperating
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said the train’s engineer was hospitalized with critical injuries but is cooperating with investigators.
The Hoboken terminal is one of the busiest in the greater New York City area, with an estimated 50,000 commuters passing through daily. The trains do not have seat belts. The train consisted of four passenger cars and an engine car and was crowded at the time of the crash.
A range of factors
The investigation is expected to focus on the a range of factors including the engineer, the possibility of equipment failure, and the condition of the train tracks. Data from the train’s event recorder, the train’s “black box,” will be examined.
