Nebraska teen accused of derailing train, recording the crash and posting it online

A 17-year-old from Nebraska has been charged with two felony counts of criminal mischief for allegedly causing a train derailment, recording it, and posting the video on YouTube, according to court records.

He was charged in Lancaster County Juvenile Court on Wednesday, but prosecutors seek to transfer the case to adult court.

A BNSF Railway investigator reported that the teenager informed authorities about the derailment and later asked the investigator what caused it. He is accused of tampering with a rail, causing two locomotives and five loaded BNSF cars to derail in Bennet on April 21.

The teenager’s legal representation status is unclear, and his parents were unavailable for comment. The incident caused $350,000 in damage when one railcar collided with an empty coal car. The train conductor attempted an emergency stop but couldn’t prevent the crash.

Court documents revealed that a misaligned switch caused the derailment, and a missing padlock, which should have been on the switch, was noted. The BNSF Railway operates trains on this rail to supply coal to a Nebraska City power plant.

After reporting the derailment, the teenager showed the investigator a video he had taken of the incident. He denied tampering with the switch but demonstrated knowledge of its location and function. Authorities later found a tripod set up near the accident site just before the derailment.

Lancaster County Attorney Patrick F. Condon declined to comment on the case.