A 17-year-old Nebraska boy is facing felony charges after he was accused of derailing a train and posting the subsequent crash on YouTube.
The Bennet, Nebraska boy was charged in Lancaster County Juvenile Court last week, though prosecutors have filed to get the case moved over to adult court, according to documents obtained by multiple local outlets.
The teen is accused of tampering with the components of a railway on April 21, causing a BNSF Railway train loaded with coal to derail. Investigators said the resulting damage to two locomotives and five cars totaled around $350,000, according to KLKN-TV and WVIT-TV.
After the accident, the teen, who was described as a train enthusiast, reportedly notified authorities of the derailment. When they arrived and told the 17-year-old they did not yet know the cause of the crash, he replied: «Obviously a switch was flipped the wrong way,” according to local reports.
The train conductor later told investigators that the crash was caused by a misaligned switch, which was found to be missing a padlock that is usually attached to prevent unintended movement.
Police said in an affidavit that the teen was able to describe to them where the switch was and how it worked and that they discovered a camera tripod set up near the crash site just minutes before the accident, reported KOLN-TV.
The teen also reportedly showed police a video he took on his phone, according to KLKN-TV. Two days later, a video investigators believe to be linked to the teen was uploaded to YouTube titled: «Loaded BNSF Arbor COLLIDES and DERAILS in Bennet, NE! MOST INSANE VIDEO I’VE EVER TAKEN!»
The teen has been charged with two felony counts of criminal mischief for intentionally damaging or tampering with property. USA TODAY has reached out to Lancaster County Attorney Patrick F. Condon and BNSF Railway for comment.
