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Hoboken train crash: one dead and more than 100 injured in New Jersey Hoboken train crash: one dead and more than 100 injured in New Jersey
(35 minutes later)
At least one person died and more than 100 people were injured when a commuter train from New York barreled into a New Jersey rail station during the Thursday morning rush hour, officials said. A devastating train crash in Hoboken, New Jersey, has left at least one person dead and more than 100 people injured.
Jennifer Nelson, a New Jersey Transit spokeswoman, says some of those injured were in critical condition. Witnesses reported injuries, including one woman who was trapped under concrete and many people bleeding. A New Jersey Transit train derailed during rush hour on Thursday morning and crashed into Hoboken terminal, one of the busiest in the state, and a huge commuter hub for those traveling to and from New York City.
New Jersey governor Chris Christie confirmed the fatality at a press conference. Injured passengers have been transferred to both the Hoboken University medical center and Jersey medical center by New Jersey Transit buses. Each hospital had around 40 “walking” patients, with roughly 10 in emergency care in Hoboken, and eight in Jersey City.
Ambulances and firetrucks from neighboring cities arrived at Hoboken train station around 10.45am to help transport dozens of injured passengers. “We’re all hands are on deck, all our surgeons, our specialty surgeons as well as our critical care nurses,” a spokesperson for the Hoboken University Medical Center said.
Several roads leading to Hoboken were closed by police. Pedestrians in the area meandered around the scene, looking shocked or confused.
Near the station, first responders continuously pushed media further back down the Observer Highway, away from the station. The scenes remained chaotic at 11am, with a mix of dozens of emergency vehicles, sirens flashing and media attempting to film evidence of destruction outside the station.Near the station, first responders continuously pushed media further back down the Observer Highway, away from the station. The scenes remained chaotic at 11am, with a mix of dozens of emergency vehicles, sirens flashing and media attempting to film evidence of destruction outside the station.
TV footage and photos from the scene show damage to the rail car and extensive structural damage to the Hoboken station. Images on social media show a train that appears to have gone through the bumper stop at the end of a track. Freight train conductor William Blaine, 53, said he felt “death was following” him after he saw the train crash.
“The next thing I know, we are plowing through the platform,” passenger Bhagyesh Shah told NBC New York. “It was for a couple seconds, but it felt like an eternity.” He said he was just outside of view of the train in a nearby Dunkin’ Donuts when he heard a “kaboom” and “the whole place shook”. He ran to the track, he said, to try and help.
He said the train was crowded, particularly the first two cars, because they make for an easy exit into the Hoboken station and onto the Path train. Passengers in the second car broke the emergency windows to get out. Blaine said the train came into Hoboken station fast – around 30mph. Typically, he said, a train would slow down as it pulled into the station at 30, then 20, 15, and then one or two miles per hour until it hits a bumper at the end of the platform.
“I saw a woman pinned under concrete,” Shah told NBC New York. “A lot of people were bleeding; one guy was crying.” Blaine also said he stepped the dead body of a woman, who may have been hit by falling iron and steel debris. Officials did not confirm this to the Guardian.
A New Jersey Transit spokeswoman said it wasn’t clear how many people were injured. The crash left the terminal severely damaged with steel infrastructure exposed and hanging from the ceiling.
The train came to a halt in a covered area between the station’s indoor waiting area and the platform. A metal structure covering the area collapsed. New Jersey Transit trains are not running into Hoboken but service remains normal on the rest of the network, while several roads leading to Hoboken were closed by police. Pedestrians in the area meandered around the scene, looking shocked or confused.
“It simply did not stop,” WFAN anchor John Minko, who witnessed the crash, told 1010 WINS. “It went right through the barriers and into the reception area.” Federal and local investigators, from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, NTSB, and Federal Railroad Administration were on the way to the scene to investigate causes of the crash and extent of the damage.
The train had left Spring Valley, New York, at 7.23am and crashed into Hoboken Terminal at 8.45am, said NJ Transit spokeswoman Nancy Snyder. Governor Chris Christie told CNN that they had not ruled out the possibility that the accident was intentional but there was nothing to indicate that.
The Federal Railroad Administration dispatched investigators to the crash scene, said Matthew Lehner, a spokesman for the agency. New York governor Andrew Cuomo and Christie were also in touch, as many passengers on the train may have been from New York state.
Rail service was suspended in and out of Hoboken, which is directly across the Hudson River from New York City.
The station is a hub for commuters switching from the NJ Transit system to the Path system to head into Manhattan.
Hoboken, which is NJ Transit’s fifth-busiest station with 15,000 boardings per weekday, is the final stop for several train lines and a transfer point for many commuters on their way to New York City.Hoboken, which is NJ Transit’s fifth-busiest station with 15,000 boardings per weekday, is the final stop for several train lines and a transfer point for many commuters on their way to New York City.
NJ Transit provides more than 200 million passenger trips annually on bus, rail and light rail lines. More than 100,000 people use NJ Transit trains to commute from New Jersey into New York City daily.NJ Transit provides more than 200 million passenger trips annually on bus, rail and light rail lines. More than 100,000 people use NJ Transit trains to commute from New Jersey into New York City daily.
The Associated Press contributed to this reportThe Associated Press contributed to this report