HOBOKEN, NJ — Ten years after a speeding NJ Transit train slammed into the end of the line at Hoboken Terminal, the crash still shapes the lives of the people it touched. Fabiola de Kroon, 34, was killed in the morning rush-hour wreck after dropping her toddler daughter at day care and heading for a train to New York City.
The collision happened about 8:30 a.m., when the train failed to stop at the terminal and sent debris raining down. The engineer, Thomas Gallagher, was later found by federal investigators to have been affected by fatigue tied to undiagnosed severe obstructive sleep apnea. Ten years on, the crash is remembered not only for the loss and injuries, but also for the changes it forced across NJ Transit.
How the Hoboken terminal crash unfolded on a September morning
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, about 250 passengers and three crew members were aboard the train when it entered Hoboken Terminal and failed to stop. The impact injured 110 passengers and crew members, and the damage to the terminal, train and track was estimated at $6 million.
De Kroon had just dropped off her 1-year-old daughter and was preparing to make her commute. Her husband, Daan de Kroon, was on a business trip when the crash happened and rushed home after hearing the news. The terminal, normally busy with commuters, became the scene of a deadly disaster that federal investigators later said could have been prevented.
Federal investigators tied the crash to sleep apnea and missing safeguards
The NTSB concluded that the crash occurred because the engineer did not stop the train after entering Hoboken Terminal, and that his fatigue was caused by undiagnosed severe obstructive sleep apnea. Investigators also said NJ Transit failed to follow its own guidance for screening at-risk safety-sensitive employees…