A commuter train headed from Connecticut to New York City derailed and was hit by a train headed in the opposite direction, leaving as many as 50 people injured, according to reports. .
MTA and Bridgeport officials confirmed that at least 250 passengers were on board the Metro-North trains when another train heading towards New Haven from New York City derailed, according to the Associated Press.
Four of the passengers were hospitalized in serious condition, Fairfield Police Chief Gary MacNamara told the Stamford Daily Voice. The extent of the injuries was not disclosed, but officials said none were life- threatening.
The accident occurred at 6:10 p.m. just outside Bridgeport. The derailed train apparently clipped the front of the oncoming train then scraped along its side, officials said.
"It wasn't a straight head-on collision, but the fronts of the two trains struck each other," Metro-North spokesman Aaron Donovan said.
As a result of the accident, Amtrak suspended service indefinitely between New York and Boston. Metro-North Railroad, which serves commuters in the greater New York area, issued a service alert saying service had been suspended between New Haven and South Norwalk, Conn.
Lola Oliver, 49, of Bridgeport, was on one of the trains when she suddenly found herself in mid-air.
"Finally I came to a stop on one of the seats. And I just gripped it because I felt the train sliding. It happened so fast I had no idea what was going on. All I know is we crashed," she told The Associated Press in a hospital interview.
The cause of the derailment was still under investigation Friday night.
