On day 24 of the trial of three men accused of negligence that killed 47 people during the in the Lac-Mégantic train derailment, the jury heard the chilling moments as the train engineer realized it was his train that was on fire.
Former Montreal Maine and Atlantic Railway Ltd. (MMA) train engineer Tom Harding, railway traffic controller Richard Labrie (called RJ) and manager of train operations, Jean Demaitre, are charged with 47 charges of criminal negligence causing death.
The incident happened at 1:15 a.m. on July 6, 2013, when a runaway train with 72 oil tankers — owned and operated by the now bankrupt MMA — barrelled into the town at over 100 km/h.
WATCH: Lac-Megantic criminal negligence trial continues in Sherbrooke
On Wednesday, the jury listened to phone transcripts between the men, as they watch the blaze consume much of the small town of Lac-Mégantic.
In the calls, Harding first says the fire must be from a natural gas line, because he’s sure his train was secure. He repeatedly and incredulously denies that it could be the train he was working on.
Labrie: It’s your train that rolled down.
Harding: No.
Labrie: Yes, sir.
Harding: No, RJ.
Labrie: Yes, sir.
Harding: Holy f—.
The jury also hears Harding say he was sure the train was “secure” before he left for the night.
“And it was secure, RJ, when I left,” Harding said in the recording.
When Labrie asks how many brakes, Harding immediately confirms that he put on seven manual brakes.
In another call, an unidentified MMA official says that the seven brakes weren’t enough, according to TVA news.
WATCH: Lac-Mégantic trial: Jury hears audio from calls between rail workers on night of crash
Jurors also heard as manager Demaitre is told it’s an MMA train that caused the fire. When dispatcher Labrie tells him, he immediately says “we’re in deep, deep sh–.”
The trial continues Monday when officials from Canada’s Transportation and Safety Board will testify. The trial is expected to last until December.
WATCH BELOW: Looking back at the train derailment
*with files from Rachel Lau
- Canadian man dies during Texas Ironman event. His widow wants answers as to why
- ‘Shock and disbelief’ after Manitoba school trustee’s Indigenous comments
- Several baby products have been recalled by Health Canada. Here’s the list
- ‘Sciatica was gone’: hospital performs robot-assisted spinal surgery in Canadian first
Comments