COLUMBIA, S.C. — A preliminary report by federal investigators says human error is the likely cause of a collision between an Amtrak train and a freight train in South Carolina that killed two people and injured dozens earlier this month.
The National Transportation Safety Board report dated Tuesday says human decision making and actions “likely” played key roles in the Feb. 4 crash near Cayce.
The report says a switch was in the wrong position, sending the passenger train onto a side track where a CSX freight train was parked.
The Amtrak engineer, 54-year-old Michael Kempf, of Savannah, Georgia, and the conductor, 36-year-old Michael Ceilla of Orange Park, Florida, died. More than 100 passengers on the New York-to-Miami train were taken to hospitals.
The final NTSB report is not expected for months.
