NTSB releases preliminary report on GOP train crash
Turkey’s president says The driver of a trash truck the country will develop appears to have maneuvered unmanned tanks to mini- around rail crossing safety mize risks to soldiers in com- gates and onto the tracks, bat. Recep Tayyip Erdogan putting him and his two pasannounced the plan Wednessengers into the path of an day during a speech at a conAmtrak train carrying GOP ference on Turkey’s five-year leaders, federal safety offidevelopment plan. His com- cials said in a preliminary ments came as Turkey’s mili- report released Wednesday. tary is carrying out a cross-borOne person, a passenger der offensive in Syria to clear riding in the truck, was killed a border enclave of Syrian in the collision in Crozet, Kurdish rebels. The Turk- Va., and several others were ish leader said U.S. refusal to injured in the Jan. 31 incident. provide Turkey with drones Investigators with the in the past had forced the National Transportation country to develop and proSafety Board said the train duce its own. was traveling about 61 mph when the engineer hit the emergency brake. The train struck the left rear of the trash truck, causing it to spin counterclockwise and hit a railroad signal bungalow. Two passengers were ejected from the truck, which came apart, leaving a field of debris.
Video from the train’s front-facing video camera
PENNSYLVANIA
An Ohio man accused of ramming a dump truck through the security gate of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office has pleaded guilty to one charge in the case. Thomas Ross, 49, entered the plea Wednesday to willfully injuring or committing depredation against property of the United States. Sentencing is set for June 13, where he could face as much as 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Last month, Ross pleaded guilty to state charges of fleeing and elud- ing and simple assault. He was sentenced to time served. The government estimates the cost to repair the gate, security barriers and light pole damaged in the 2016 incident was about $190,000. His lawyer has said Ross was “out of his mind” on a combination of drugs and was “clearly desperate.” showed that the gates were down as the crossing came into view and the truck was on the tracks. Witnesses told investigators that the truck had entered the crossing after the gates had gone down.
The special Amtrak train was carrying doz ens of Republican lawmakers, staff and family members to an annual retreat held this year at The Greenbrier, a resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
Some lawmakers, including several who are doctors, climbed off the train and attempted to help those who were injured. Among the lawmakers on the train, only Rep. Jason Lewis (R-Minn.) was hospitalized. He was treated for minor injuries and released. Three Amtrak employees also were injured.
The impact of the collision caused the front axle of the lead locomotive to derail; however the train remained upright.
Albemarle County police identified the person who died as Christopher Foley, 28, of Louisa County. He was a passenger in the trash truck owned by Time Disposal. Foley was one of three Time Disposal employees in the vehicle. The company set up a GoFundMe page to help support Foley’s family.
Lawmakers aboard the train said they felt a sharp jolt and then a “hard impact” that “threw everybody up in the air a little.”
The crash was “loud and surprising,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said following the crash. “We saw debris go by the left side of the train. The part of the truck we [could] see was decimated. Very relieved when the train came to a stop and [was] still on the tracks.”
The crash is one of several involving Amtrak under investigation. In December, a train derailed outside of Seattle, killing three and injuring about 100 people. And earlier this month an Amtrak train hit a parked freight train near Caycee, S.C., killing two people. Investigators have said a misaligned switch sent the Amtrak train onto a side track where the freight train was parked.