“We’ll be on scene five to seven days, collecting what I call perishable evidence — the information that can go away with the passage of time. That’s what we're going to do: document the scene, start collecting that perishable evidence, interviewing witnesses,” Sumwalt told reporters in a press briefing.
Sumwalt added that federal investigators took control of the crash scene in Valhalla, the New York town where the crash occurred, early Wednesday. Investigators have not yet had time to confirm facts about the cause or results of the crash, Sumwalt said.
Investigators collecting recording devices from site of Metro-North train collision: http://t.co/8iZvG9LS53 pic.twitter.com/mKeuGoAMQz
— Reuters US News (@ReutersUS) 4 февраля 2015
Investigators located the train’s recorders, which will provide information about the circumstances leading up the crash, Sumwalt said. Investigators plan to interview the train’s operators within 24 to 48 hours, after they’ve had time to recover from trauma, Sumwalt said.
“I don't know at this point their medical condition, but that's a high priority,” Sumwalt said. “Our sole purpose for being here is to find out what happened so that we can offer recommendations to hopefully keep this from happening again.”
Local media reported that six people were confirmed dead and 12 were rushed to hospital after a commuter train collided with a car near Valhalla on Tuesday.
The train, heading north from New York City, struck a Jeep Cherokee at around 6:30 p.m. local time (11:30 p.m. GMT). The driver of the car and five train passengers were confirmed dead by local officials, according to media reports.
Six killed and 15 injured in last night's commuter train accident north of New York City http://t.co/2xOqEgaMF2 pic.twitter.com/lh8BqTBSAx
— BBC News US (@BBCNewsUS) 4 февраля 2015
The commuter train was reportedly carrying more than 750 passengers.
