All 3 MMA rail workers acquitted in Lac-Megantic disaster trial

[WhiskeyGrinder]

Source: CBC

After nine days of deliberations, jurors have acquitted the three former Montreal, Maine and Atlantic (MMA) railway employees charged with criminal negligence causing death in the 2013 Lac-Mégantic rail disaster.

Locomotive engineer Tom Harding, 56, rail traffic controller Richard Labrie, 59, and operations manager Jean Demaître, 53, were all charged after the derailment of a runaway fuel train early on July 6, 2013. Several tankers, carrying highly volatile crude oil exploded, turning downtown Lac-Mégantic into an inferno and killing 47 people.​

There was an audible gasp in the courtroom and the family of Labrie cried when the verdict was delivered early Friday afternoon.

Through tears, Labrie described his relief. He said his thoughts were always with and continue to be with the community of Lac-Mégantic.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/lac-megantic-criminal-negligence-verdict-1.4474848

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Good.

[AtheistCrusader]

1. Seems like there should be some censure for failing to set the handbrakes to spec but

it is unlikely the specced number of handbrakes would have held the train, so I guess it would be pointless to prosecute on it.

Bigger fish need to be fried over this. Much bigger.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

2. Here's hoping whatever the Canadian equivalent of a civil trial gets the right fish.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. Residents favor verdict. Now company (bankrupt) faces charges of criminal negligence causing death

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/lac-megantic-criminal-negligence-verdict-1.4474848

{...} Montreal, Maine and Atlantic (MMA) railway, which filed for bankruptcy in 2013, will be next to defend itself against charges of criminal negligence causing death. {...}

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/lac-megantic-residents-react-1.4496062

'It broke their lives': Lac-Mégantic residents support acquittals of MMA rail workers
Many resident believe 3 accused were not the ones responsible for the disaster

The father of victim Kathy Clusiault, Jean Clusiault, was at the courthouse in Sherbrooke, when the verdicts were announced and approved of the acquittals. "These are human beings, with families, who worked hard all their lives. These aren't killers. We treated them like killers," Clusiault said.

He added that his sympathies go out to locomotive engineer Tom Harding, 56, rail traffic controller Richard Labrie, 59, and operations manager Jean Demaître, 53, because of the toll the trial has taken on them in the past four-and-a-half years.

"It broke their lives," he said.

When asked who he thought was to blame for the disaster, he pulled out a piece of paper with a list of names of upper management at the now-defunct MMA.

[jpak]

3. That was a tragic accident

Lac Magantic was one of my favorite day trips from Maine.

The local restaurants and bars were a hoot.

And they had a a beautiful lakefront park....