July 25th 2024.
On April 21, a train derailment occurred in Bennet, Nebraska, causing significant damage to the BNSF Railway and Omaha Public Power District property. It was later discovered that a 17-year-old boy was allegedly responsible for the incident, deliberately causing the derailment in order to record it and post it on YouTube.
According to court records obtained by KFXL, a BNSF special agent was informed by a train conductor that the locomotive was traveling eastbound and approaching a crossing when he noticed a switch misaligned. This caused the train to veer onto an industry track next to a grain elevator, resulting in two locomotives and five rail cars going off the tracks but remaining upright.
The conductor explained that he attempted to make an emergency stop, but it did not activate in time, causing the train to crash. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that a switch lock was missing, indicating that it had been tampered with. At the scene, a 17-year-old boy arrived and inquired about the derailment, claiming that he had recorded the crash on his phone.
Authorities were still unsure of the cause of the derailment when the boy confidently stated, "Obviously a switch was flipped the wrong way," according to court records obtained by KOLN. It was later revealed that the teen had allegedly recorded the incident on a tripod, capturing the scene before, during, and after the crash.
Three days after the derailment, a BNSF investigator obtained CCTV footage showing a 1996 Buick Park Avenue in the area, with the same teen seen walking towards the switch. The affidavit states that the teen was later recorded returning to his vehicle, then driving south and parking before setting up a tripod. It is believed that he went to the Frontier Coop parking lot to record the derailment, which happened shortly after.
The video of the derailment was later posted on a YouTube account, which investigators believe is linked to the teen. The incident caused an estimated $350,000 in damages, and the teen is facing criminal mischief charges over $5,000. While he has not been formally charged, he is not being detained and his identity will not be released due to being a juvenile.
Lancaster County Attorney Patrick Condon told McClatchy News that they plan to file a motion to transfer the case to adult court. It will ultimately be up to the juvenile court judge to decide whether the case will remain in juvenile court or be transferred to adult court. The investigation is ongoing, and the extent of the damage caused by the teen's actions is still being assessed.
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