(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.
Recommended For You
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader
Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.