Federal investigators are trying to determine why a rush-hour Long Island Rail Road train crashed through a barrier at the end of the tracks at the Brooklyn terminal Wednesday, injuring more than 100 people.
At a news briefing at Atlantic Terminal on Wednesday night, lead investigator Jim Southworth said National Transportation Safety Board officials planned to interview the train’s three-member crew, including the engineer, who was treated for minor injuries.
NTSB investigators also on Wednesday retrieved the train’s event recorder, which should provide data on the train’s performance, including its speed and whether brakes were applied. The information could then be compared with video of the train pulling into the station.
“I take that data and we look at it very closely and make determinations about its accuracy,” Southworth said.
NTSB officials said they plan to be at the site for up to seven days. They are asking any eyewitnesses to email them footage and video of the crash to help with the investigation.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said the probe will focus on “why the operator didn’t stop the train before it hit the bumping block.”
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