Pa. attorney general charges Amtrak engineer with manslaughter in crash
Representing crash victims, attorneys Thomas Kline (left) and Robert Mongeluzzi address reporters at a news conference on Thursday next to a photo of Amtrak 188 engineer Brandon Bostian. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has charged Bostian causing a catastrophe, eight counts of involuntary manslaughter and other crimes. (Bobby Allyn/WHYY)
Pennsylvania’s top prosecutor has charged a speeding Amtrak engineer with causing a catastrophe, eight counts of involuntary manslaughter and other crimes in a 2015 derailment that came after he accelerated to 106 mph in a 50 mph zone.
Prosecutors said Friday they have been in talks with engineer Brandon Bostian’s attorney to have him surrender and be arraigned on the charges. Bostian reportedly lives in Massachusetts. His lawyer hasn’t returned messages seeking comment this week.
Attorney General Josh Shapiro has expanded on charges filed a day earlier by a Philadelphia judge asked to approve a private criminal complaint sought by the family of a woman killed in the May 12, 2015, crash. The judge ordered city prosecutors to charge Bostian with two misdemeanors.
Philadelphia prosecutors had earlier declined to charge Bostian, citing insufficient evidence. The crash killed eight people and injured about 200 others.
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