Deadly Amtrak crash recalls memories for Graniteville community

Monday, Feb. 5, 2018

(News 12 at 6 O’clock / NBC 26 at 7)

GRANITEVILLE, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) -- Everyone in this community has a connection to the deadly train crash that hit Graniteville more than 10 years ago. The Amtrak wreck that happened yesterday brings back emotional memories to many.

Chris Verenes is the CEO of the Security Federal Bank just next door to the railroad tracks of the Graniteville crash. He says with all the train wrecks popping up around the nation its flooding back memories of a day many would like to forget.

"When you see what happened in Cayce, South Carolina on Sunday, early in the morning, and also prior in the week with the other Amtrak train, it does harken back to the times when we were very concerned and fearful of the accident in Graniteville."

Thirteen years have ed from a day that sent a cloud of toxic chlorine gas into the air and killed nine people. After more than a decade later people are still dealing with health issues. One of Chris’s longtime employees had an uncle die in that wreck.

"It was wrenching emotionally from a shock standpoint, but also a personal standpoint too. We had an employee whose uncle ed away as a result of that accident."

After the Graniteville crash, the federal government started working on a way to prevent this from ever happening again.

New technology to act as a safety net using GPS, and a wireless radio to monitor trains and stop them from colliding, derailing or speeding. But that didn't happen.

"This is a reminder we should have done it a long time ago, so this will give us a new emphasis to do it and I hope we do," Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said.

Sen Lindsey Graham says the delay to use this new system has to do with money. Senator Graham hopes it's a lesson learned.

"Lives lost, people's lives ruined. You know, it's hard sometimes for the federal government to learn its lesson."

Both Chris and the Senator agree that action to keep the railways' safe needs to happen sooner than later.

Amtrak has installed this safety measure on some of its railroad tracks but now all people in the area are still pushing for safety on the railways to be a top priority.