Investigators were encouraged after a data recorder was recovered from the wreckage after the New Jersey Transit train accident last week. However, officials have confirmed today that the data recorder wasn't working during the crash. This new development has further complicated the investigation to figure out exactly what went wrong in last week’s deadly train crash. A woman was killed, and more than 100 others were injured when a NJ Transit train slammed into the Hoboken Terminal on Thursday morning.
New Jersey Transit officials said the terminal's signals appeared to be working normally. Despite the claims from the engineer who told investigators that he was going 10 mph, the chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board stated publically that the train was traveling far too fast. The non-functioning data recorder would have resolved this discrepancy with the actual speed the train was traveling. Officials say not all is lost and there is still another data recorder located on the train along with a front camera. The extensive wreckage has prevented investigators from getting the second recorder and camera. They will have to wait until the surrounding structure is safe before moving forward.
The 48-year-old engineer has been questioned and analyzed by investigators including toxicology tests. He told officials he remembers nothing of the crash and had successfully completed all braking tests before the accident. The only thing that was unusual according to the engineer was the overly packed train cars during the morning rush. Investigators continue to work through the mounds of evidence obtained.
If you’ve been an innocent victim of an accident and believe you are entitled to compensation for your damages, please contact a St. Louis personal injury attorney at Meyerkord & Kurth, LLC, today.