The site of Sunday's early morning train crash between an Amtrak train, bottom, and a CSX freight train, top left, in Cayce, S.C. Federal investigators are planning to give an update on their probe into a deadly crash between a freight train and a passenger train in South Carolina. The National Transportation Safety Board says on Twitter that the agency will hold a meeting briefing at 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5, 2018, near the Columbia Metropolitan Airport.
The site of Sunday's early morning train crash between an Amtrak train, bottom, and a CSX freight train, top left, in Cayce, S.C. Federal investigators are planning to give an update on their probe into a deadly crash between a freight train and a passenger train in South Carolina. The National Transportation Safety Board says on Twitter that the agency will hold a meeting briefing at 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5, 2018, near the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. Jeff Blake AP Photo
The site of Sunday's early morning train crash between an Amtrak train, bottom, and a CSX freight train, top left, in Cayce, S.C. Federal investigators are planning to give an update on their probe into a deadly crash between a freight train and a passenger train in South Carolina. The National Transportation Safety Board says on Twitter that the agency will hold a meeting briefing at 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5, 2018, near the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. Jeff Blake AP Photo

National Business

Conductor's wife alleging negligence in deadly train crash

By MEG KINNARD Associated Press

February 08, 2018 01:56 PM

COLUMBIA, S.C.

The wife of a conductor killed in a South Carolina train crash says two rail companies are to blame for her husband's death.

In a lawsuit filed Thursday in Florida, Michael Cella's widow accuses Amtrak and CSX Corp. of negligence. Cella and Amtrak engineer Michael Kempf were killed early Sunday when their passenger train collided with a parked CSX freight train. More than 100 passengers were injured.

Cella's widow says CSX was negligent in locking a manual switch that forced the passenger train onto the side track where the empty freight train was parked. The suit also says CSX should have warned the oncoming Amtrak train about the switch.

The lawsuit accuses Amtrak, Cella's employer, of failing to ensure he had a safe environment in which to work.

Never miss a local story.

Sign up today for unlimited digital access to our website, apps, the digital newspaper and more.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

  Comments