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Metro-North Engineer Will Not Face Charges in Fatal 2013 Train Derailment

By Trevor Kapp | May 15, 2015 2:25pm | Updated on May 18, 2015 8:40am
 Motorman William Rockefeller will not face criminal charges in the fatal 2013 Metro-North derailment, prosecutors said.
Motorman William Rockefeller will not face criminal charges in the fatal 2013 Metro-North derailment, prosecutors said.
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Rhinebeck volunteer fire department

THE BRONX — The bleary-eyed engineer at the controls of the Metro-North train that derailed in Spuyten Duyvil in 2013 — killing four people — will not face criminal charges, prosecutors said.

William Rockefeller was dozing off when he took a 30 mph curve at 82 mph on Dec. 1, 2013 at about 7:20 a.m., causing the seven-car train to derail, federal officials said.

He was suffering from sleep apnea brought on by obesity and a recent change in his work schedule, the National Transit Safety Board said.

“There will be no criminal charges filed against William Rockefeller because there was no finding of criminality,” said Terry Raskyn, the top spokeswoman for the Bronx District Attorney’s office

More than 60 people were injured in the derailment, which also caused $9 million in damages.

Two weeks before the accident, Rockefeller switched to a 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. start time after beginning his shift in the late afternoon for two years.

Speed also played a role in another train accident on Tuesday, when an Amtrak train bound for New York derailed in Philadelphia, killing eight people.

The NTSB said the train was traveling at 106 mph around a 50 mph bend when it derailed.