U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Richard Blumenthal are calling for a thorough, yet quick investigation into the Metro-North Railroad crash Tuesday in Westchester County. It involved a train hitting a vehicle on the tracks, killing five passengers and the vehicle’s driver. Fifteen others were injured.Investigators say a commuter train hit an SUV that apparently was stuck on the tracks because the crossing gate had come down on the back of the vehicle. On a conference call with reporters and Senator Richard Blumenthal, Senator Chuck Schumer says the MTA, the Federal Railroad Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are all investigating.
“What happened that was so unusual here, and this is preliminary, is that the third rail went through the floor of the train and caused a very fierce, fierce fire,” said Schumer.
Blumenthal says the NTSB needs to complete an investigation in weeks, not months.
