Feds Roll Over On Testing for Sleep Disorder Suspected in Hoboken Train Crash

Nothing to lose sleep over…

That’s essentially what the Federal Railroad Administration has said, as it backs away from testing for sleep apnea and other sleep disorders—suspected underlying causes of fatal rail incidents in our region, including the Hoboken Train Crash on September 29.

Hoboken resident Fabiola Bittar DeKroon, 34, was on the platform of the busy multi-modal terminal during the crowded morning rush hour waiting for a train, when she was struck by falling debris resulting from the impact of Pascack Valley train No. 1614 traveling at more than twice the 10 mph speed limit. Incredibly, she was the sole fatality in the incident, in which more than 100 of the train’s passengers – and more than a dozen others in the terminal – were sent to area hospitals.

The family of DeKroon has since filed suit against NJTransit, specifically citing the agency’s failure “to properly and adequately screen for, monitor and treat medical issues.” The train’s conductor was diagnosed with sleep apnea after the crash.