Feds To Probe Maspeth LIRR Train Wreck

 
 
A Long Island Rail Road engine broke loose from two other cars last Wednesday, traveling more than a mile before crashing into several cars and a truck.
Meir Mahlab said he didnt even see the train coming.Mahlabs car was struck while he was out running errands.He was one of four people taken to the hospital with crash-related injuries, two of whom are still hospitalized and in critical condition.
Initial reports insinuated that the emergency brakes had not been put on. However, the crew has denied these allegations.
Three of the five workers on the train were questioned and tested for drugs. The results will not be in for weeks.
According to published sources, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) spokesman Ed Dobranetski said that testing was completed on the locomotive, including the documentation of valve positions and switches on the air tanks and an examination of the wheels and the braking system.
Investigators have yet only recovered two of the three event recorder boxes from the train and continue to search for the third. Information from the boxes should help determine what caused the engine to break away from the rest of the train.
Feds say that although the investigation will be completed in a few weeks, final results and a conclusive determination may not be available for up to one year.