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LIRR Crash Injures 33, NTSB Investigating

 A Long Island Railroad train derailed near New Hyde Park, N.Y., on Saturday. The commuter train derailed east of New York City after it hit a work train on the tracks.
Sarah Qamar
/
Via AP
A Long Island Railroad train derailed near New Hyde Park, N.Y., on Saturday. The commuter train derailed east of New York City after it hit a work train on the tracks.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating Saturday night’s crash and derailment between two trains on the Long Island Rail Road’s Main Line in Nassau County.

In total 33 people were hurt, including seven railroad workers, when an eastbound passenger train sideswiped a moving eastbound work train after leaving the New Hyde Park station.  

Governor Cuomo said, “The question is why. And rather than speculate on all the possible reasons why they sideswiped each other, I think the best course is let NTSB do their work. Let’s get the facts, and let’s go from there.”

But MTA President Thomas Prendergast says it appears that the work train “violated” the track space of the passenger train, possibly by having a piece of equipment sticking out.

None of the injuries are considered life-threatening, although several people suffered broken bones.

Copyright 2016 WSHU

Terry Sheridan is an award-winning radio journalist. As part of his duties as Long Island Bureau chief for WSHU, he oversees and mentors a newsroom staffed by students of the Stony Brook School of Journalism, where he is also a lecturer and adjunct professor.

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