Rider Plans To Sue NJ Transit For Hoboken Train Crash: Report

HOBOKEN, NJ — A 66-year-old Tenafly man who was a passenger aboard an ill-fated Hoboken-bound train when it crashed into the station has filed notice of his intent to sue NJ Transit, a report says.

Sheldon Kest’s attorneys announced the launch of the lawsuit during a news conference in Newark on Tuesday, charging that their client lost part of a finger, suffered a broken nose and received lacerations to his head and face in the tragic Sept. 29 incident, which also resulted in the death of 34-year-old mother Fabiola Bittar de Kroon, the Associated Press reported.

More than 100 other riders were reportedly injured in the collision, officials say.

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“I'm so fortunate to be here and to hopefully, through the legal system, help prevent another senseless, deadly New Jersey Transit crash," Kest reportedly said. "I need to know: Why did it happen? How did it happen? And who should be held accountable so it never happens again?"

It’s unclear what Kest is seeking in the lawsuit, the Associated Press stated.

The National Transportation Safety Board released additional details of its investigation into the fatal crash last week, determining that the train that crashed into the platform of Track 5 was going twice the speed limit.

The event recorder indicates the throttle increased from idle to the #4 position while the train was going about eight mph, approximately 38 seconds before the collision at 8:45 a.m. The train began to accelerate, reaching about 21 mph at the time of the crash, the NTSB said.

The speed limit for Hoboken Terminal is 10 mph.

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Photo: John Tachine