3 dead after car crashes off Henry Hudson Parkway onto Amtrak tracks below
NEW YORK -- Police believe speeding caused a car to plunge off the Henry Hudson Parkway on Monday morning and onto Amtrak train tracks.
The fiery crash killed three people and snarled traffic for hours.
CBS2's Christina Fan spoke to engineers about the barricades that were unable to stop the vehicle.
It was a baffling sight under the George Washington Bridge. The burnt remains of what used to be a BMW lay smoldering on the tracks after tumbling off the parkway.
"How the hell do you get off the highway down onto the railroad? I mean good god," said Mark Gorton of the Upper West Side.
Police believe the driver was speeding when he lost control at around 2 a.m. near 181st Street, flew over the concrete barrier, and plunged into the embankment below.
The car immediately burst into flames. The driver, a 39-year-old Edgar Valette, was ejected and killed. A woman inside the car died and police found a third man's body underneath the car.
"My guess is this could have been triple-digit speeds to either get airborne or hit this is some kind of square manner and flip over," transportation engineer San Schwartz said.
Schwartz said the area of the parkway where the driver lost control has a slight crest and turn, and going into it too fast could be deadly.
"You are going to be airborne at the top of that crest. And therefore the Jersey barrier that used to be that high to an airborne vehicle would look like a curb," Schwartz said.
He said, for the most part, Jersey barriers are very effective at keeping cars safe and on the road, but only up to 70 mph, adding drivers don't have to worry about such a terrifying tumble, as long as they stick close to the speed limit.
