- Title: Witnesses say train crash 'horrible' and 'scary'
- Date: 29th September 2016
- Summary: HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 29, 2016) (REUTERS) WIDE VIEW OF HOBOKEN TERMINAL AMBULANCE FIRST RESPONDERS AMBULANCE DRIVING AWAY SIGN ON WALL READING (English): 'NJ TRANSIT WELCOMES YOU TO HOBOKEN TERMINAL' WIDE VIEW OF STREET (SOUNDBITE) (English) CRASH WITNESS, KERI ANTAS, SAYING: "I heard a loud noise and I continued to walk through the terminal. And I saw the train in the station, I was like 'wow, I can't believe that just happened.' And there were people on the ground, bloody with black smoke on them. That was pretty much it. They proceeded to let us out through the waiting room doors, and I was able to get out. But it was horrible, it was scary." AMBULANCE FIRE FIGHTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CRASH WITNESS, JESSIE HUANG, SAYING: "This morning I was getting off of from the station further down from train crash. I was getting off from train at 8:52, and later in the news I saw that the crash happened on 8:45. So I saw all the wires crashed down, the ceiling, so it was a very scary moment." OWNER OF HOTEL VICTOR, DAVID RUSSO (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID RUSSO, OWNER OF HOTEL VICTOR, ACROSS FROM THE STATION, SAYING: "Well at first, everybody comes together, and everybody helps out. All the bars, restaurants have been bringing stuff over here, and dropping them off by me for all the first responders." FOOD LAID OUTSIDE HOTEL VICTOR (SOUNDBITE) (English) HOBOKEN RESIDENT, LOUIE MELENDEZ, SAYING: "I am heartbroken, really heartbroken. I live here, and I have never seen anything like this in my life, never. It's really the first time I see this." MORE OF STREET NEXT TO STATION
- Embargoed: 14th October 2016 20:03
- Keywords: commuters train crash injured witnesses
- Location: HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES
- City: HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Ground Accidents/Collisions,Disaster/Accidents
- Reuters ID: LVA00151MFM87
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Witnesses described terrifying scenes as the front of a train smashed through the track stop at high speed and into the Hoboken terminal on Thursday (September 29), toppling support columns and creating chaos at one of the busiest transit hubs in the New York City area.
A commuter train plowed into the New Jersey station at the height of the morning rush hour, killing one person on the platform and injuring more than 100 as it brought down part of the roof and scattered debris over the concourse.
"I heard a loud noise and I continued to walk through the terminal," Keri Antas said. "And I saw the train in the station, I was like 'wow, I can't believe that just happened.' And there were people on the ground, bloody with black smoke on them. That was pretty much it. They proceeded to let us out through the waiting room doors, and I was able to get out. But it was horrible, it was scary."
"I saw all the wires crashed down, the ceiling, so it was a very scary moment," Jessie Huang said.
One person died on the platform after being struck by debris from the crash, and 108 people were injured, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said.
Christie said it was obvious the train had come into the station too fast, but it was unclear why. The cause could be human error or technical failure, Christie said, adding it was too early to say whether an anti-collision system known as positive train control could have prevented the crash.
A couple of hundred emergency workers spent the morning shuttling in and out of the station, some carrying the injured on stretchers to ambulances outside. Federal investigators later began examining the wreckage.
Some of the injured were in critical condition, officials at two hospitals said. Several passengers were initially trapped in the wreckage, but they were later freed.
Hoboken, the last stop on the line it serves, lies on the Hudson's west bank across from New York City. Its station is used by many commuters traveling into Manhattan from New Jersey and further afield. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
