Not in clear in Amtrak horror
A Pennsylvania judge reinstated all criminal charges against an Amtrak engineer for his part in a deadly 2015 derailment that killed eight passengers, the latest legal twist in the long-running case.
The Thursday ruling by Superior Court Judge Victor Stabile overturns a July 2019 decision sparing Brandon Bostian from facing 216 counts of reckless endangerment, eight counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of causing a catastrophe in the wreck shortly after the New Yorkbound
train departed the 30th St. Station in Philadelphia.
More than 150 people were injured when Bostian accelerated the train to
106 mph, more than double the posted speed limit, as it headed into a curved section of track, officials said. A Philadelphia municipal court judge had also tossed the charges in September 2017.
Pennsylvania State Attorney Josh Shapiro, in a statement issued by his office, said the ruling clears the way to proceed with “our work to deliver justice.”
“The families who lost loved ones in this fateful crash and the many passengers who were injured deserve closure,” the statement added.
Bostian’s lawyer Brian McMonagle, who had successfully argued in the past that his client’s behavior did not reach the level of criminal behavior, said he would appeal the latest ruling in the ongoing case.
A National Transportation Safety Board investigation found that Bostian was distracted prior to the deadly derailment by radio communications about a nearby train that was struck by a rock. Tests showed Bostian was not impaired when the crash occurred, and investigators said he was not using his cellphone at the time.
Amtrak has already agreed to a $265 million settlement on claims filed by the victims and their families.