LIRR rider hurt in Brooklyn crash wants answers over fed's warning
DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN, New York (WABC) -- One of the victims in the Long Island Rail Road crash at Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn is speaking out Thursday about filing a lawsuit against the transit agency.
It comes after an Eyewitness News exclusive revealed that the railroad was warned by the Federal Railroad Administration ahead of time, but did not implement the recommended changes until after the crash.
The train slammed into a bumper at the terminal two weeks ago, leaving more than 100 riders on board the train hurt. Many victims say the new revelations add insult to injury, because they believe the MTA could have taken steps to prevent the incident.
PHOTOS: LIRR train crash aftermath
One of those passengers is 40-year-old Troy Torian, a financial adviser from Queens who works on Wall Street. The railroad has now begun pairing conductors with engineers entering dead-end stations.
A safety advisory from the FRA made that recommendation one month before the Atlantic Terminal crash, and Torian and attorney Sanford Rubenstein said it's unacceptable that the railroad failed to take steps to protect riders.
"I just think it's ridiculous," he said. "They had ample time to implement these safety measures, and if they had someone else inside the engineer cars, if the guy fell asleep, someone could have tipped him up or helped them out to avoid the entire accident."
The railroad was in the process of implementing those changes recommended by the federal government, though officials acknowledge the changes did not come soon enough.
The packed, rush-hour train crashed as it entered the station in Brooklyn, hurling passengers onto the floor and slamming them into each other. Many had been standing as they prepared to get off the train at the last stop. At least 100 people were injured, but miraculously, no one was killed.
The engineer has told investigators he has no memory of crashing his train into the wall.
