PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A jury was selected on Thursday in the criminal trial of a former Amtrak engineer who was behind the controls of a train when it derailed in the Port Richmond neighborhood of Philadelphia nearly seven years ago.
Eight people died in the crash and more than 200 were injured.
Judge Barbara McDermott asked potential jurors if they had heard about the 2015 train derailment. She found out what they knew and asked if they would be able to put that aside and weigh the case fairly, based on information presented in the courtroom.
Ultimately, 12 jurors and three alternates were selected.
Lawyers for both sides then discussed their concerns with the judge. One discussion was about certain photos that should or should not be used as evidence, including one image of a severed limb and a body. The judge said she would make her decisions on all the concerns raised before the start of the trial.
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The engineer of Amtrak 188, 38-year-old Brandon Bostian, faces possible jail time if found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and causing a catastrophe. The charges against him have been dropped and reinstated multiple times since the derailment in 2015.
An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board determined Bostian lost “situational awareness” as the train approached a dangerous curve in the tracks.
Jurors are to report to court Friday morning.