Amtrak Accident in Montana Kills Three Passengers

At least three people were killed and up to 50 others injured when an Amtrak train derailed (the “Empire Builder 7/27”) in rural Northern Montana. Passengers Don Varnadoe, 74, and Margie Varnadoe, 72, of St. Simons Island, Georgia, were identified as two of the three victims who died in the accident. The couple was killed when the train derailed. Reports indicate that eight cars on the train, which was headed from Chicago to Seattle, derailed near Joplin, Montana. Five people remain hospitalized.

The scene outside of the derailed Amtrak train after it derailed was described as “chaotic” with passengers “holding on for life” during the derailment. One of the toppled-over cars was the observation car. These accidents are generally preventable in the absence of negligence. Amtrak, unfortunately, has a poor safety record, with a history of serious accidents stretching back years.