A normal commute home quickly turned to chaos Friday when two Metro-North trains collided after one train derailed near the border of Fairfield and Bridgeport in Connecticut. Checkey Beckford reports.
Two Metro-North commuter trains collided in Connecticut during the Friday evening rush hour after one train derailed and struck a second train, injuring 60 people, five critically, officials said.
An eastbound train derailed at about 6:10 p.m. and struck a westbound train between the Fairfield and Bridgeport stations, an MTA official told NBC News.
"We came to a sudden halt. We were jerked. There was smoke," said Alex Cohen, a Canadian passenger on the westbound train en route to New York. "People were screaming; people were really nervous. We were pretty shaken up. They had to smash a window to get us out."
There were no fatalities, according to Lt. James Perez of Fairfield Police. Both trains were evacuated.
"I have no reason to believe this is anything other than an accident," Gov. Dannel Malloy said Friday night at a news conference.
Malloy said that most people were not seriously hurt. He said there was extensive damage to the train cars and the track, and it could take until Monday for normal service to be restored.
He said the area where the accident happened was down to two tracks because of repair work and that the accident would have a "big impact on the Northeast Corridor.''
The cause of the train derailment remains unknown, officials said.
"We're going to do a full investigation to see what exactly the cause of the accident is," Capt. Jim McKenna of the MTA Police said.
Local
The National Transportation Safety Board said they were sending a team of investigators.
Eastbound Metro-North service was disrupted at South Norwalk, while no westbound service was being provided past Bridgeport, the Metro-North said. Amtrak service is currently suspended between New York and New Haven, Conn., according to a press release.
Amtrak service was also suspended indefinitely between New York and Boston because of the accident.
The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation to into the incident, according to NBC News.
