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LIRR Derailment: 29 Injured in Railroad Crash in New Hyde Park

LIRR
Long Island Rail Road Station. (Photo by Joe Abate)

More than two dozen people were injured when a Long Island Rail Road train derailed in New Hyde Park Saturday night, officials said.

Luckily, there were no fatalities and the most serious injuries—29 in total—were related to broken bones and lacerations, officials said.

“The good news here is no fatalities,” Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano said.

The county executive said an LIRR train was traveling eastbound when it crashed into a work train. It was unclear if the work train was idle.

The derailment is currently under investigation, he added.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said approximately 600 passengers were on board at the time of the derailment, which spawned service disruptions on the Ronkonkoma, Oyster Bay and Port Jefferson branches. Service was also suspended between Jamaica and Hicksville—one of the railroad’s busiest branches. LIRR riders were advised to use Montauk, Babylon and Hempstead lines.

The Long Island Rail said uninjured passengers were being taken to New Hyde Park Village Hall on Stewart Avenue.

“Staff from the MTA and the LIRR are on the scene and will work around the clock to determine the cause of this derailment and restore service as quickly as possible,” Cuomo said in a statement.

Photos on social media showed a mangled train car and twisted metal as a result of the crash.

A brief video posted by a Twitter user showed people in relative calm and emergency lights blaring in the background.