A Commuter's Take on the Metro North Tragedy

The Metro North is one of the most used means of transportation in our area. On Februrary 3rd, 2015, a train running along the Harlem line struck a car at a railroad crossing in Valhalla. This caused an explosion in the first train car as it struck the vehicle leaving 15 injured and 6 dead (more info). Many daily commuters were shaken up by this tragedy, seeing that it is the deadliest in Metro North's history. I spoke with two commuters who ride the train everyday about their thoughts on the accident and about looking towards the future. The first commuter I interview, Stephanie Loucas, talks about how her mom was actually on the train that night. Stephanie had picked her mom up in Hawthorne after she walked for a mile away from the mess. When asked, her mother described the scene as "chaotic." The other commuter I spoke to has been commuting to NYC everyday for years, and had never heard of this happening before. He thought that the driver may have panicked, causing the accident.