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Tags: steve forbes | amtrak | crash | philadelphia

Steve Forbes Shaken Up, Not Injured in Amtrak Crash

(Twitter/CNN)

By    |   Monday, 04 April 2016 12:12 PM EDT

Forbes Media Chairman Steve Forbes escaped unharmed from the deadly Amtrak train crash outside Philadelphia that killed two people Sunday after hitting a backhoe on the track.

"Our hearts go out to the families of those two construction workers who were killed and those who were injured," Forbes told CNN's "New Day" program. "We were in the last passenger car so we didn't get the hit that the first two cars did."

He said Monday that he and other passengers in the car he was on did not know what had happened. But clearly, he said, something was wrong and there appeared to be smoke.

"Suddenly you were stopping, and it was a matter of nanoseconds, but you felt like that train was coming to a screeching halt and then eased up a little bit like a driver hitting the brake and then easing up all in a matter of a couple of seconds."

And in Forbes' car, located near the back of the train, "the coffee was flying everywhere and there was a smell of smoke."

At first, the passengers thought there was fire, he said, but they didn't hear anything for about a half hour before responders asked if anyone was injured.

"Then we heard and got off the train," said Forbes. "After about 45 minutes, the responders were there and doing a very good job. We went across the track and through the woods to the local church. You can see when you got off the train that there was a derailment in the first two cars. The first one was badly hit. [It is] amazing when you look at that car there weren't more injuries."

Forbes said people in his car weren't trying ot get out, as they knew not to in the case of there being exposed electrical lines.

"There were some veteran riders," said Forbes. "That is why they were speculating brake system or this and that. We knew to sit tight and don't try to do anything and eventually we would get word."

Still, Forbes said he was surprised there was not a system to back up the train's PA system, which went out in the crash.

"In planes the crew is trained, you do this and that," said Forbes. "Here I'm not sure they have that kind of precise training what to do in various cars since with the train there is such a difference in impact depending on where you are at."

Sandy Fitzgerald

Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics. 

© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


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Forbes Media Chairman Steve Forbes escaped unharmed from the deadly Amtrak train crash outside Philadelphia that killed two people Sunday after hitting a backhoe on the track.
steve forbes, amtrak, crash, philadelphia
411
2016-12-04
Monday, 04 April 2016 12:12 PM
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