NTSB Press Conference: In Fatal New York Train Wreck, Train was Going 82 MPH on a 30 MPH Curve!; Four Dead, 60 Severely Injured

By Nicholas Stix

A press conference just ended about five minutes ago. The NTSB official, Earl Wiener, said the train had been doing 82 on a 70 MPH straightaway, before hitting the 30 MPH curve at the same speed.

While Wiener said he could not yet say if it was human or mechanical error until NTSB can perform some late-night testing, when traffic is light, he strongly suggested human error. He said that the brakes were applied five seconds before the crash, and worked fine at that point, implying that the problem was that the motorman applied the brakes too late. Of course, when you’re driving 52 MPH too fast, it’s easy to be late.