NEW YORK — A U.S. official says federal investigators have concluded that an unusual rail design contributed to the death toll in a fiery commuter rail crash that killed six people in a New York City suburb in 2015.
The official says about 340 feet of electrified rail pierced a Metro-North Railroad train after it struck an SUV at a crossing in Valhalla, New York. Aditya Tomar, 41, of Danbury was killed in the crash. The official wasn’t authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators will present their findings on the crash at the agency’s board meeting Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
Investigators will also recommend risk assessments for grade crossings.
The woman driving the SUV and five people on the train were killed. More than a dozen others were injured.
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