PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- Multiple criminal charges have been filed against Brandon Bostian. He's the Amtrak engineer, accused of derailing a train in Philadelphia 2 years ago that killed 8 passengers. State Attorney General Josh Shapiro says the charges are just.
34-year-old Brandon Bostian of Forest Hills, New York faces 8 counts of manslaughter and multiple other charges related to endangering others' welfare after driving 106 mph. That's 56 miles faster than allowed on that section of Amtrak rail in Philadelphia.
Nearly 250 people, crew and passengers, were on board the Amtrak train on May 12, 2015. 8 people lost their lives and more than 200 others were injured when Bostian, the train's engineer, drove 106 mph on a curve with a 50 mph speed limit. A data recorder on board revealed the speeding.
Pennsylvania's Attorney General Josh Shapiro said the charges Bostian faces are just - for the lives lost and for the countless others injured and the victim's families. Shapiro took action after Philadelphia officials neglected to pursue a criminal case against Bostian. Thomas Kline represents the Jacobs family, who lost their daughter, Rachel, in the crash. He filed a criminal complaint on the family's behalf to step up the charges.
Shapiro said, "We looked at all the evidence, and we looked at the law, and we made an assessment that charges were warranted, and those charges we're pursuing are on the behalf of the victims. We want to bring justice to the victims. We've been in communication with Mr. Bostian's lawyer, and we expect that very shortly, he'll be turning himself in."
Thomas Kline, the Jacob's family lawyer said, "And this isn't a moment of congratulations or a moment of euphoria. This is a moment of justice. It's a moment of bringing a man to task for what he did to all of these families, and how he did this so wrong. The district attorney's office didn't even want to issue a speeding ticket to Brandon Bostian, and that was so fundamentally wrong. He destroyed the lives of so many people. He injured so many people. He hurt so many families and so many people."
Kline believes the charges will stick for Bostian. As for Amtrak, the company has taken responsibility for the crash and agreed to pay $265 million to settle claims filed by the victims and their families.