News

Actions

Engineer charged in deadly 2015 Amtrak crash

Engineer charged in deadly 2015 Amtrak crash
Posted at 10:00 PM, May 12, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-12 22:00:14-04

Pennsylvania's top prosecutor has charged a speeding Amtrak engineer with causing a catastrophe, eight counts of involuntary manslaughter and other crimes in a 2015 derailment that came after he accelerated to 106 mph in a 50 mph zone.

Prosecutors said Friday they have been in talks with engineer Brandon Bostian's attorney to have him surrender and be arraigned on the charges. A judge says Bostian lives in Massachusetts. Bostian's lawyer hasn't returned messages seeking comment this week.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro has expanded on charges filed a day earlier by a Philadelphia judge asked to approve a private criminal complaint sought by the family of a woman killed in the May 12, 2015, crash. The judge ordered city prosecutors to charge Bostian with two misdemeanors.

Philadelphia prosecutors had earlier declined to charge Bostian, citing insufficient evidence. The crash killed eight people and injured about 200 others.