Jury deliberations in deadly Amtrak derailment to begin anew
Deliberations in the trial of an Amtrak engineer charged with causing a deadly 2015 derailment in Philadelphia will start anew Friday after a juror's sister died
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Deliberations in the trial of an Amtrak engineer charged with causing a deadly 2015 derailment in Philadelphia will start anew Friday afternoon after a juror experienced a death in the family.
The jury had begun weighing criminal charges against engineer Brandon Bostian on Friday morning when the judge announced around noon that an alternate would step in. The jury must now begin its deliberations from the start to include the new juror.
Bostian, 38, is charged with causing a catastrophe, involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment.
Eight people died and more than 200 people were injured when the train rounded a curve at more than twice the speed limit and derailed in north Philadelphia. Amtrak agreed to pay $265 million in civil settlements to victims and their families.
The jury must decide whether Bostian sped up intentionally, knowing the risks — the threshold required for criminal negligence. Federal safety investigators believe he lost what they call “situational awareness” on the track, thinking he was past the curve and on the straightaway when he accelerated.
Common Pleas Judge Barbara McDermott said the juror whose sister died Thursday night came to court Friday and began deliberations before asking to be relieved.
The state Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting the case because city prosecutors declined to pursue a criminal case. Some of the victims' families had pressed for charges.
___
Follow Maryclaire Dale on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Maryclairedale