One person died, and more than one hundred resulted wounded after a commuter train slammed into a train station in Hoboken, New Jersey at 8:30 am. Several people are still trapped in the wrecked carriages, according to investigators.
So far, the cause of the crash has not been disclosed. The train was identified as the New Jersey Transit’s No. 1614 on the Pascack Valley Line. The train “never slowed down” according to witnesses. It smashed the reception area barriers of the terminal and made a “horrendous exploding noise” as stated by one emergency worker. Victims could be seen trying to leave the crash on their hand and knees.
Details of the train crash
The passengers broke the windows in an attempt to flee. Nonetheless, the first car is so damaged that many are still trapped inside. So far, one person has died, while many of the injured remain in critical condition.
“I wasn’t on the train, but I arrived just after it happened. There was water coming down off the roof and people climbing out through the windows. There were people sitting down with blood coming from their head. There were lots of injuries,” declared commuter Ben Fairclough.
More than twenty ambulances were rushing wounded people to nearby hospitals, while police officers and firefighters could be seen at the scene. The crash is believed to be accidental, as reported by officers, but the official investigation from the National Transportation Safety Board is still ongoing. The engineer was in the leading car, and the locomotive was at the last one.
Current status of the train lines
New Jersey Transit has the highest influx of commuters in the United States, with more than fifty thousand passengers using the train lines every day. Hoboken station is the busiest terminal in the area, with fifteen thousand daily commuters.
New Jersey Transit suspended the service of the Hoboken station as a result of the incident and police officers closed several roads. The NY Waterway ferry service is taking passengers to New York City.
On December 30, 1985, a commuter train also slammed against the barriers of the Hoboken Terminal. At that time, there were fifty-four injured and no deaths.
On February 9, 1996, at the West End Interlocking, the NJ Transit train No. 1107 crashed against the train No. 1254 that was heading toward Hoboken Terminal; three people died, almost seventy were injured, and three million dollars in damages were reported.
Source: Business Insider