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The decision in the liability trial regarding the crash, which happened in Valhalla in February 2015, was reached on Tuesday, July 17.
On the day of the crash, Feb. 3, 2015, 49-year-old Ellen Brody of Edgemont had left her job in Chappaqua before encountering a traffic jam along the Taconic State Parkway in Mount Pleasant that followed a head-on collision. Brody was unfamiliar with the dark, narrow roads that crisscross the Taconic and railroad tracks in Valhalla.
As bumper-to-bumper traffic was detoured over railroad tracks at Commerce Street, Brody briefly stepped out of her Mercedes SUV to check a crossing gate that came down on the rear of her car.
At this point, a train operated by Stephen Smalls struck Brody's car, causing an explosion. This also led to the third rail piercing the first two cars of the northbound commuter train.
Brody and five others were killed, including Bedford Hills residents Eric Vandercar, 53, and Walter Liedtke, 69; New Castle residents Robert Dirks, 36, and Joseph Nadol, 42; and Aditya Tomar, 41, of Danbury, CT.
The lawsuit was originally brought against Metro-North in January 2016 by several passengers who had been on the train's first car.
As part of the jury's verdict, Metro-North was found to be at fault for its design of the third rail system. Fault was also attributed to Smalls for his operation of the train, as he was found to be driving at excessively high speed considering the nighttime conditions and multiple street crossings on the route.
The next step in litigation will determine how much the plaintiffs will receive in compensation from Metro-North, which could be as much as hundreds of millions of dollars.
In a statement, MTA Spokesperson Aaron Donovan condemned the verdict: "The MTA disagrees with this verdict and is considering all legal options."
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