PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — On May 12, 2015, an Amtrak train en route from Washington, D.C. to New York City derailed and crashed in the Frankford section of Philadelphia. Hundreds were injured and eight people were killed.
The National Transportation Safety Board soon determined that Amtrak engineer Brandon Bostian lost “situational awareness” as he rounded the Frankford curve at more than 100 miles per hour — double the speed limit.
Nearly seven years later, Bostian is on trial, facing eight counts of involuntary manslaughter and 246 counts of reckless endangerment.
As the trial unfolds, we took a look back at how the first 24 hours of the aftermath of the crash played out. Listen to a compilation of KYW Newsradio’s real-time coverage from 2015.
Train cars on their sides
Around 9:30 that Tuesday evening, emergency crews responded to the scene at Wheatsheaf Lane, near Aramingo Avenue. Seven Amtrak cars were flipped on their sides, including the engine, which was separated from the rest. The cars were at varying stages of disarray — some completely upside-down and perpendicular to each other.
Most of the less severe injuries were broken arms, legs or ribs, but at least three people were sent to the operating room directly from the scene. By preliminary estimates, five people had died.
Passengers escape the wreckage
Then Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Murphy was aboard Amtrak 188. He helped others get to safety, climbing through emergency windows. He walked away unscathed.
Witnesses described the scene as though someone had picked up the train, shook it and threw the cars on the ground. Others felt a shaking feeling before the cars tipped, and bags and other debris flew past them.
One man was traveling with his mother. “I helped my mom get off. That was my first priority. And luckily, I’m still here. I’m still walking. I got really lucky.”
A seventh victim was pulled from the wreckage the next day — a 48-year-old Associated Press software architect who was returning home to his wife and two kids in Plainsboro, New Jersey.
One more person would eventually die, bringing the total death count to eight people.
Commuting at a standstill — and passengers stranded
SEPTA and NJ Transit came to a halt for everyday commuters. Meanwhile, Amtrak 188 passengers still had not reached their destination. Those who escaped injury packed 30th Street Station, trying to get home. Some even came directly from the hospital.
Amtrak was struggling to garner a total count of all the passengers aboard, asking anyone who walked away without injury to call the transit agency to make sure everyone was accounted for. Some families couldn’t find their loved ones.
A Center City hotel was used as a central location for families to reunite with victims. One Baltimore family was unable to find out what happened or where their loved one was. The man’s 13-year-old son was there looking for him.
NTSB launches investigation
Initial reports said the train was traveling at 100 mph in a 50 mph zone, and officials suggested excessive speed played a role in the derailment.
In the days that followed, the NTSB confirmed that just moments before the derailment, the train was placed into engineer-induced braking. At that point, the train was traveling approximately 106 mph. Three seconds later, when it crashed, the speed was 102 mph.
Later that week, Mayor Michael Nutter confirmed the body of the eighth victim was discovered at the site. All other passengers and crew members were finally accounted for.
Brandon Bostian, the Amtrak train operator, was ultimately charged in the crash. The NTSB determined that he lost “situational awareness” as the train approached a dangerous curve in the tracks. Nearly seven years later, the jury was selected and the trial began on Feb. 25.
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