The jury has reached an agreement. Survivors in a fatal New York train crash are getting a $182 million settlement. People lost their lives when a train struck an SUV that got stuck on the tracks. The railroad company and the conductor are at fault. 

Survivors in New York train wreck get $182 million settlement 

New York commuters were riding a train to their local station one afternoon, during rush hour traffic. An SUV drove on the tracks, and the crossing gate arm lowered on top of it. The driver was trapped and drove further down the tracks. 

Then a Metro-North train came barreling down the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) line. It slammed into the SUV at 50 mph. The engineer only hit the emergency brake three seconds before the collision. 

Then the electrified third rail ripped off the ground and pierced the SUV’s gas tank, causing it to go up in flames. It flew 1,000 feet. The first passenger car was struck as well, killing five passengers. 

Typically, railroad grade crossings have gate arms designed to lift if they strike an object while lowering automatically. Also, they’re made of wood that’s easy to break if struck by a vehicle. 

According to the Washington Post, the jury found that Metro-North is responsible for 71% of the liability of five passenger deaths, 30 injuries, and 63% of the death of the SUV driver. 

The train engineer and the railroad’s oversight of the line’s electrified third rail are also at fault. Plus, the third rail’s design still hasn’t been corrected. 

About $79 million goes to one passenger based on their projected lifetime earnings. Payouts to families of other passengers killed in the train wreck range between $35 to $4 million.