The operator of a New York City commuter train that derailed on Sunday has been suspended without pay, a spokesman for the railroad said Thursday.
Word of the suspension follows an acknowledgement by William Rockefeller’s lawyer that he was in a “daze” before the Metro-North train approached a curve at dangerously high speeds and derailed, killing 4 people and injuring more than 60.
The Metro-North spokesman said Rockefeller is “out of service, and not being paid,” the Associated Press reports.
A union representative told CNN that human error was the likely cause of the derailment and said that Rockefeller recognizes his responsibility in the accident. Federal investigators said alcohol breath tests for Rockefeller showed no signs he was inebriated, and the brake and signal systems appeared to be working.
[AP]