Associated Newspapers Limited's Jessica Kwong reported that a 17-year-old boy is under investigation for allegedly causing a train derailment in Bennet, Nebraska, resulting in $350,000 in damages to BNSF Railway and Omaha Public Power District property.
On April 21, two locomotives and five rail cars went off the tracks due to a misaligned switch. Despite attempts to stop, the train crashed. An investigation revealed the switch lock had been tampered with.
A BNSF investigator later obtained CCTV footage showing the teen near the tracks and setting up a tripod to record the derailment, which he subsequently posted on YouTube. His cell phone and 4k digital recorder were confiscated after a search warrant was issued on July 8.
The teen, accused of criminal mischief over $5,000, has not been formally charged or detained. Lancaster County Attorney Patrick Condon plans to file a motion to transfer the case to adult court. The incident caused significant damage, totaling around $350,000.
