Amtrak Engineer NOT Being Charged in Deadly Train Crash

UPDATE: According to CNN, the Amtrak Engineer is now being charged with a felony for the accident.

The Amtrak engineer in a 2015 derailment in Philadelphia that killed eight people and injured more than 200 was charged Friday with a felony count of causing or risking a catastrophe and multiple counts of misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter.

The Amtrak engineer that was involved in the derailment of the speeding Amtrak train where 8 people died and 200 others were injured in Philadelphia will not face criminal charges. The Philadelphia district attorney decided not to charge the engineer.

Brandon Bostian who was the engineer at the time is not facing criminal charges. Prosecutors cannot prove negligence. The train was going 106 miles per hour around a curve where the speed limit was 50 miles per hour.

A federal investigation stated that Bostian lost control of the train and his location when he learned that a commuter train that was operating nearby was hit with a rock. There was no evidence at Bostian was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident. It was concluded that his cell phone was not used at this time as well.

Thomas Kline and Robert Mongeluzzi who are lawyers for 30 victims and their families were disappointed in this decision. According to the lawyers the victims are still suffering and want justice. They want Bostian to be held responsible for his actions.
According to the lawyers Bostian should at least face charges for reckless endangerment. He stated that is Bostian is not held responsible everyone that operates a vehicle could not be held accountable for accidents as well.

According to the office of the District Attorney there was not enough evidence to prove reckless endangerment. Seth Williams is the current district attorney even though his law license is suspended due to an indictment for federal bribery.

Amtrak has paid out $265 million to the victims of this accident. According to Bostian as his train approached the commuter trail he blew the whistle and heard a lot of confusion on his radio. He stated that this incident made him think of his coworker that was injured in a train crash. At this time the train sped up going around the curve.

Bostian also has a personal injury suit against Amtrak. He was left confused when something struck his train before the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board stated that Amtrak has a history of failing to use automatic speed controls.

My Take

I’m really shocked this Amtrak Engineer is escaping with no charges. What’s your thoughts?