(Bloomberg) -- The fiery rush-hour crash of a New York commuter train in Westchester County that killed six people happened amid a traffic jam that sent a swarm of autos across a level crossing, said a union official representing the engineer.
The deadliest accident in Metro-North Railroad’s history occurred after an accident on the Taconic State Parkway, said Tony Bottalico, general chairman of the Association of Commuter Rail Employees. Cars were diverted, crossing the tracks in the process. Gates came down atop a Jeep Cherokee, whose driver got out, got back in, tried and failed to move foward, he said.
The train struck the trapped vehicle, killing the driver and triggering an explosion and fire that left five dead on the train as the electrified third rail of the track pierced the railcar and set it ablaze. Fifteen people were being treated in hospitals, with seven in very serious condition, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on CBS television.
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