On Saturday, October 8th, around 9:10 pm, a Long Island Rail Road train derailed near New Hyde Park. Authorities report that the Huntington-bound train derailed after colliding with a LIRR work train near Merillon Avenue station in Garden City. The first three cars of the train derailed about a half mile east of the New Hyde Park station, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.
Approximately 600 passengers were on board the 12-car passenger train. Of the 600 passengers on board, 29 individuals were injured in the incident. Eleven passengers were taken to the hospital and the others were treated at the scene.
“Thankfully, early reports indicate that injuries are minimal,” Cuomo said.
As of 5:14 a.m. the Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma branches were suspended in both directions.
In December 2013, a Fatal Metro North Derailment had killed four people and left 63 injured. This LIRR train derailment came a week after a New Jersey Transit Train crashed at the Hoboken Terminal, killing a woman and injuring more than 100. It may seem like a coincidence that there were two incidents in such a short duration of time. Sadly, train derailment incidents can end tragically for victims and their families. Investigations are under way to determine the cause of such incidents.
For all passengers that were injured or affected by a train accident, it’s important to know that if any claim is to be filed against the commuter rail system, the law decrees a “notice of claim” to be filed within 90 days of the incident.
