Community Comes Together In Wake Of Deadly Amtrak Derailment
By Anita Oh
CHESTER, Pa, (CBS) -- The National Transportation Safety Board was at the site of the deadly Amtrak Train crash that took place on Sunday morning in Chester. They are trying to determine why a backhoe was on the same tracks as an active train.
The train slammed into that backhoe, killing two Amtrak workers and injuring 37 others. Community members in Trainer, Delaware County came together after the ordeal.
Passengers getting off of that trained described a very somber mood, especially knowing that two people lost their lives. In the midst of tragedy, part of the community is coming together thanks to a local church.
The sign outside the Trainer United Methodist Church says that everyone is welcome and that could not have been more true on Sunday. "We went from what I heard expressed as worship to workship," said the church's Reverend James Ford.
Nearly 350 passengers were on board the Amtrak train that collided with construction equipment on the tracks behind the church, derailing the lead engine. "I was very upset," said Ford. "Immediately, I had heard that they hit a backhoe and that just didn't make sense. I didn't know how that could possibly occur."
Those who weren't injured in the accident took shelter at the church, just a short walk away from the tracks. As investigators try to piece together exactly what happened, there are still few answers including why those workers were on the tracks if a train was scheduled to pass.
"This is hard," said Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland. "It's painful and it's tragic."
One thing is clear...something must change. "Someone made a bad mistake and cost two people their lives." said Ford.
"Although this was a horrific tragedy, because of tragedies more times than not, lessons are learned," Kirkland explained. "More times than not, corrections are made."