A Long Island Rail Road train hit the bumper and jumped the track at Atlantic Terminal, Brooklyn, during the height of the Wednesday-morning rush. At least 103 people are hurt, according to the FDNY, but none of the injuries are life-threatening, with “walking wounded” suffering from scrapes, cuts, and bruises. Many were treated by first responders on the scene. Governor Andrew Cuomo, addressing reporters from outside Atlantic Terminal after the incident, said a broken leg was the most serious injury reported so far.
The westbound LIRR train originated in Far Rockaway and had an estimated 600 riders. It was pulling into track 6 at the station around 8:20 a.m. when the train apparently failed to brake and crashed into the bumping block at the end of the tracks, forcing the front car of the train upward off the rails. “I was getting up from my seat and there was a loud impact and I flew forward and then flew backward,” a passenger told WBCS 2 about the moment of the crash.
The cause of the incident is unknown, but, right now, it does not appear as if the train was moving at a significantly higher speed than the normal rate for a train’s approach into a station, according to Cuomo.
MTA chairman Tom Prendergast said they are investigating why the train didn’t stop, and will interview the operator and engineers.
FDNY and emergency crews arrived at the station, as crowds of commuters packed the smoky platform. Passengers posted photos to social media from the terminal, which showed train seats askew, shattered glass, and mangled doors:
The Long Island Rail Road is warning of delays into and out of Atlantic Terminal Wednesday morning, but service has not been suspended and the other tracks are undamaged. There’s also plenty of traffic around the Barclays Center and Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn as emergency crews triage the injured and secure the scene.
In September, a New Jersey Transit train barreled into a Hoboken train station, killing one person and injuring 100. That train was going twice its normal speed when it plowed into the terminal, based on preliminary findings.
This post has been updated throughout.
