VERDICT IS IN

Amtrak Engineer Cleared in Horrific Train Crash That Killed Eight People

A jury found that Brandon Bostian, 38, hadn’t been criminally negligent when he rounded a corner at more than twice the speed limit.

An Amtrak engineer on trial after his speeding train derailed in 2015, leaving eight dead and hundreds injured, was acquitted by a Pennsylvania jury on Friday, the Associated Press reported. Brandon Bostian, 38, was charged with causing a catastrophe, involuntary manslaughter, and reckless endangerment for rounding a curve at 106 mph, a stretch of track with a 50 mph speed limit, after which the train derailed. Bostian’s lawyer argued in court that his client had a perfect work record previously and had been distracted by reports of people throwing rocks at trains ahead. Investigators said there was no evidence Bostian was impaired, fatigued, or using his cellphone at the time of the crash, and the jury decided that his actions did not constitute criminal negligence, according to the AP.