Around 8:20 Wednesday morning, it was reported that a Long Island Railroad train derailed at the Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn. It was reported that the LIRR train seemed to have hit a bumper block at the end of the track causing the derail.
This event caused over 100 injuries, but officials have stated that none of the injuries were life-threatening. New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said the most significant injury at this time was a possible broken leg and that no other serious injuries have been reported.
An investigation of the derailed train has started, with the main focus looking into why the operator of the train, which was going less than 15 miles per hour, wasn’t able to stop before hitting the block bumper.
Statements have been made by various passengers of the train in light of current events. Here are some of the released comments:
“We started feeling the train jump the rail. Then we heard the metal screeching and it felt like it was forever. And then we saw the smoke.”
-Daniela Roth of Valley Stream
“I was sitting, so I was fine, I saw a couple of people who were standing that go tossed forward. One woman fell, bus was okay.”
-Rob Schroeder of Woodmere
“All of a sudden it was a big boom. Boom! It just threw us out of our seats. People were thrown everywhere. We didn’t know what was going on.”
-Commuter Tracy Brown
The LIRR train originated in Far Rockaway, and, even though over 100 were injured, the train had between 600-700 passengers on board.
