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Construction Causing Delays on Route 4 in Farmington

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Route 4 in Farmington is congested because of some late-running construction near Garden Street, according to Farmington police.

Police said the traffic should clear by 7:45 a.m., but that is not guaranteed.


Top News Photos of the Week

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View weekly updates on the very best photos in domestic and foreign news.

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Man Charged With Attempting to Murder Aunt

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A 27-year-old New Britain man accused of stabbing his aunt has been arrested on an attempted murder charge.

Police located Eddy Feliz-Ayala, 27, of 637 Osgood Ave., New Britain, at a Beaver Street home Sunday and arrested him on a warrant after finding his aunt with apparent stab wounds at 42 Erwin Place 1st North a couple days before. Police responded to that address after receiving a 911 call at 10:51 p.m. on Friday.

Feliz-Ayala's aunt was taken to a nearby trauma center. She is still recovering there and is listed in critical but stable condition, police said.

Police charged Feliz-Ayala with attempted murder and first-degree assault and held him in custody in lieu of a $500,000 bond. He was cooperative with police when he was taken into custody. It's unclear what triggered the attack.

He was scheduled to appear in New Britain Superior Court on Monday to be arraigned.

Police ask anyone with information on the incident to call Det. Karl Mordasiewicz at 860-826-314 or the community tip line at 860-826-3199 or submit a tip online at newbritainpolice.org.



Photo Credit: New Britain Police

Top Sports Photos 2015

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Click to see dramatic sports photos from the NFL, to basketball, baseball and more.

Photo Credit: AP

Person Loaded Onto Stretcher After I-84 Crash

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Medics have loaded someone onto a stretcher after a crash on Interstate 84 West in East Hartford.

The crash is between exits 57 and 56 and involves at least a tractor-trailer an SUV, but exactly how many vehicles are involved is not clear.

Traffic is backed up from exit 59 in Manchester.



Photo Credit: Connecticut Department of Transportation

DC Mayor Is Saying "Redskins" Again

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Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser is changing her tune in an effort to bring the Redskins back to Washington.

Last year, as a D.C. Council member, Bowser signed a council resolution calling for the team to change its name, which many consider a racial slur.

In the past, she had said a name change should be part of any talks about bringing the team back to D.C

But the mayor recently started using the name in TV and radio interviews.

“We know the perfect location for the Redskins is where they played for decades very successfully,” Bowser said.

Bowser is not disputing reports that she's talking with the team about moving back to Washington.

Multiple sources, including a senior Bowser administration official, told News4 the mayor has been advised to start using the name as a way to show good faith with owner Dan Snyder.

The Redskins played their last game at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C., in 1996. The next year, the team moved to Jack Kent Cooke Stadium in Landover, Maryland. The stadium was later renamed FedExField.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

No Serious Injuries in East Hampton Route 16 Crash

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Lifestar was called, then canceled, after a two-car in East Hampton on Tuesday morning and police said no one suffered serious injuries.

The crash happened on Route 16, near Harlen Place, and was causing traffic delays, but traffic is getting by.

A wrecker responded to the scene.

No further information was immediately available.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Pomfret Student Takes a Leap With Skydiving "Promposal"

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When Pomfret School student Eddie Staten saw people skydiving in Danielson on his way back from Easter vacation, he knew exactly how he was going to ask his girlfriend of about two years to prom.

So the Madison resident took a leap, quite literally.

Dubbed "Best Promposal Ever" on Skydive Danielson's YouTube channel, in a video published May 3, Staten got the company's help him take promposals to "new heights" with a skydiving promposal. He wanted to ask his girlfriend, Talia Gulino to their prom "in a way that was special, something that she would always remember," so he figured, "Why not?" 

He recruited a group to come with him, including his twin brother and about 10 of his friends from the private co-ed boarding school in Pomfret that he attends with Talia.

"Although my parents weren’t thrilled with the idea, that night I booked the appointment to skydive on May 3rd at Skydive Danielson," Staten wrote in an email to NBC Connecticut. "Next thing I knew I was jumping. To be honest, I was more nervous about how the the video would turn out than about jumping! We jumped from 10,000 feet and it was incredible. I would do it again in a heart beat."

The video starts off with the simple question, "Prom?" with "Talia" and hearts sketched in pen on a sheet of blue printer paper as Staten asks, "Will you go to prom with me?"

"That's awesome man. So, do you think that she thinks you're crazy enough that she'll go with you?" the videographer and his tandem instructor asks.

Staten calmly and coolly answers, "I hope she says yes," prompting the videographer to say, "I hope so too, man. And if not, you're still falling out of the sky today right?"

"Yes" is Staten's reply before the skydiving instructor asks another vital question ahead of the treacherous jump, "Anything you want to say to friends and family in case things don't go well?"

"I love you all," Staten says, adding that he's not nervous and maintaining a smile the whole time.

Then, cut to him in the plane clutching his promposal sign, still smiling. Strapped to his tandem instructor and a parachute, he gives the camera a final thumbs up with one hand, holding his sign in the other.

Dangling out of the plane before the jump, the sign and his face flutter in the wind at the high altitude and then he's off. Instantly, his arms fling apart like he's flying and the sign is gone. From then on, it was all about the skydive, but he didn't forget to look at the Go-Pro camera to Talia with an expression of elation on his face between glances at the ground below.

"I hope she says yes," he repeats closer to the ground at a calmer part of the dive and the skydiving instructor jumping with him says to Talia, "You have to say yes now. No one else is going to go through this much trouble for a date with you."

Her answer? No surprise.

"Oh and Talia loved the video and said yes!!" Staten said.

It was the second skydiving promposal Skydive Danielson has helped with this year, according to the company.



Photo Credit: Skydive Danielson
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Route 66 in Portland Reopened

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Route 66 was closed near Route 17 in Portland after a driver hit a pole, but the road has reopened.

Police earlier said they expected the road to remain closed for most of the day after an SUV went over a curb and hit a pole outside Moore Brothers just after 5 a.m., according to police.

An ambulance was called, but no information is available on injuries. 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

WATCH: Panda Cub Tumbles in Yard

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Like most young adults, Bao Bao is enjoying living on her own.

The growing giant panda cub has been exploring her own yard for just over a month, and keepers at the National Zoo say the 20-month-old already has some favorite spots in Yard 3.

Visitors may catch the active cub tumbling down the hill in her enclosure, climbing a tree or chowing down on bamboo.

With Bao Bao acclimated to her new yard and breeding season over, zoo keepers say all three of their giant pandas may rotate between each of the yards more regularly.

Bao Bao was born Aug. 23, 2013 at the National Zoo. She's just the second panda born at the zoo to survive to her first birthday. According to an agreement with the Chinese government, Bao Bao will stay at the National Zoo a total of four years and will then be sent to China.



Photo Credit: Smithsonian's National Zoo

Obama: Recent Unrest Helping Put New Focus on Poverty

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President Barack Obama participated in a summit on poverty at Georgetown University Tuesday, and says there's no reason to think the nation can't fight the issue effectively.

Obama says the recent unrest in Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri, has increased awareness of the problems associated with wealth inequality, and created an opening to focus new attention on solutions.

At Tuesday's forum, Obama said "it's a mistake'' to think efforts to stamp out poverty have failed and the government is powerless to address it.

Obama said there are programs that work all around the country, but the trick is to put them into place on a larger scale.

Tuesday's talk included Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government professor Robert Putnam, as well as Arthur Brooks, president of the conservative think tank the American Enterprise Institute.

The discussion was moderated by Washington Post columnist and Georgetown professor E.J. Dionne.



Photo Credit: AP

Family Mourns Girl Who Drowned in Naugatuck

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A family is mourning and grief counselors will be at City Hill Middle School in Naugatuck on Tuesday to provide support for students and teachers after the death of a 12-year-old girl who was pulled from the Naugatuck River on Monday evening.

Rescuers spent nearly two hours searching for Jada Ivory, of Naugatuck, on Monday. She was perched on a rock with some friends at Linden Park when she lost her balance and slipped into the water around 4:30 p.m. on Monday, officials said.

Friends watched as she was swept away by the current and tried to save her.

Karen Smith said she Jada to stay away from the water when the preteen said she wanted to go to the park.

"I was in the kitchen washing dishes when the little girl came in and said Jada is drowning," Smith said. So I just ran.  I just ran."

A spokesperson for the Naugatuck Police Department said Jada was unresponsive when she was loaded into an ambulance around 6 p.m. She was pronounced dead at Waterbury Hospital.

No adults were with the children, according to police, and rescuers pulled Jada from the water about a half mile from where she fell in.

Jada was a bright seventh-grade student at City Hill Middle School whi liked to hang out with her friends, go to the movies and go skating, her mother, Cassandra Houston, said.

"She was a bright kid," Houston said. "It's not fair."

Police are issuing a warning to parents to ensure that children are supervised while on or near water.

"Whenever there's kids and water, it's a dangerous combination," explained Naugatuck police spokesman Lt. Bryan Cammarata. "We always want to make sure there's someone there, that they're supervised."

There information has been released on funeral arrangements.

Jada's family is accepting donations from anyone who would like to help out with her funeral. To contribute, send an email to Chouston126@gmail.com.



Photo Credit: Family Photo and NBC Connecticut

Bret Michaels, Dennis DeYoung to Headline Concerts at Travelers Championship

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Multi-platinum former Poison front man Bret Michaels and STYX founding member and lead singer Dennis DeYoung will headline the Powerstation Events Concert Series at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell in June.

"The Powerstation Events Concert Series is an annual highlight of our tournament, bringing top musicians to Connecticut for our fans to enjoy as part of their admission," Travelers Championship Tournament Director Nathan Grube said in a statement. "Our goal is to make the Travelers Championship an experience that the whole family can enjoy, and we are excited to have Bret Michaels and Dennis DeYoung perform this year."

DeYoung will take to the stage on Friday, June 26, playing rock songs made famous by STYX like "Lady," "Babe," "Come Sail Away," "Mr. Roboto," "Renegade" and many others from the '70s, '80s and '90s, according to the news release. Michael performs Saturday, June 27 on Overstock.com's True Grit Tour, sponsored by PetSmart, playing the metal songs of Poison.

Poison has sold more than 45 million records across the globe, with 10 of its singles landing in the top 40 on the Billboard charts, known for songs like "Nothin' but a Good Time," Fallen Angel," "Your Mamma Don't Dance" and "Something to Believe In," according to the release.

DeYoung was lead singer and songwriter in eight of STYX's top 10 hits, according to the news release. Four STYX albums in a row were named multi-platinum between 1977 and 1981 and about 2 million copies of each one were sold, the news release said.

The concerts start after the golfing is over for the day at about 7 p.m. at the MetroHartford Alliance Fan Zone in the middle of the course, according to the release.

Fans can purchase "Any One Day" tickets to attend the tournament and entertainment. Powerstation Events is the Connecticut entertainment and production company running the concert series.

"We're thrilled to present the Powerstation Events Concert Series at the Travelers Championship for the fourth consecutive year," Al Vagnini, president of Powerstation Events, said. "Working with the Travelers Championship offers us an opportunity to support dozens of charities impacted by the tournament, as well as bring Connecticut fans top national acts. We're proud of how this partnership has grown."

More information is available at travelerschampionship.com/2015-schedule-of-events.



Photo Credit: Submitted by Travelers Championship

1 in Critical Condition After Hartford Motorcycle Crash

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One person is in critical condition and part of Brainard Road in Hartford is closed down after a motorcycle and a pickup collided, according to Hartford police.

The crash happened in the area of 110 Brainard Road and the person on the motorcycle is at Hartford Hospital, in critical condition, police said.

No additional information was immediately available.
 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Man Arrested After Leaving Dog in Extreme Cold: PD

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Police arrested a Glastonbury man on animal cruelty charges after he left his dog outside in the cold this past winter, police said.

Paul Aubin, 54, turned himself into police on Friday at about 5:21 p.m. on a warrant tied to a February animal cruelty incident. He is accused of leaving his dog outside for an "extended period of time" in "extreme cold temperatures," police said.

Police charged him with cruelty to animals, failure to vaccinate and having an unlicensed dog.

He was released on a promise to appear in Manchester Superior Court on May 27.



Photo Credit: Glastonbury Police Department

Harriet Tubman on $20 Bill? Abolitionist Wins Currency Vote

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A group advocating for a woman's face on the $20 bill announced its pick on Tuesday: abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who guided slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad.

The group, Women On 20s, is presenting a petition to President Barack Obama to replace President Andrew Jackson with Tubman as the first woman on American currency.

It held two rounds of online voting to let the public choose from among 15 American women of historical significance. More than 600,000 votes were cast, the group said on its website.

Tubman got 118,328 votes to 111,227 for Eleanor Roosevelt, 64,173 for Rosa Parks and 58,703 for Wilma Mankiller, the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation, the group said.

Tubman was born to parents who were slaves in Dorchester County, Maryland, sometime between 1820 and 1825. She fled to Philadelphia via the series of safe houses known as the Underground Railroad.


Tubman returned to the South about 19 times to rescue her family and others, including on her last trip her aging parents, as a "conductor" on the railroad, the group said.

During the Civil War, she became a spy and scout for the Union Army.

An order from the secretary of the treasury is required to change a portrait on a bill.

Jackson replaced President Grover Cleveland on the $20 bill in 1928.

Women On 20s says Jackson should be booted because he helped to convince Congress to pass the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which drove Native American tribes in the Southeast off their lands and into Oklahoma. Thousands died along what has been named the Trail of Tears.

Last month, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen introduced legislation that would complement the Women On 20s campaign. It would direct the treasury secretary to create a panel to recommend a candidate for a new $20.

Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire, said a woman's portrait was long overdue.

"The incredible grassroots support for this idea shows that there's strong support for a woman to be the new face of the $20 bill," she said in a statement.

Also last month, Rep. Luis Gutierrez, a Democrat from Illinois, introduced a similar bill in the House.



Photo Credit: Women On 20s
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Sources ID Suspected Serial Killer

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The man suspected of killing at least seven people and burying their bodies behind a New Britain shopping center has been identified as William Devin Howell, a 45-year-old currently incarcerated at a Connecticut prison on separate manslaughter charges, multiple sources familiar with the investigation tell NBC Connecticut exclusively.

Howell’s current 15-year sentence at the Garner Correctional Institution stems from the homicide of Nilsa Arizmendi, a 33-year-old Wethersfield resident who disappeared in 2003. Her body was never recovered.

Howell was on trial for her murder but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter in a deal with prosecutors in 2007, according to the state Division of Criminal Justice website.

Howell was taken into custody in North Carolina in 2004 and his van – which Arizmendi was last seen entering – was seized as evidence. When police searched the van, the cushion on the back seat was gone and authorities discovered Arizmendi’s blood in the van, along with the blood of an unidentified person.

When police They also found a videotape with footage that shows two other women, according to the DCJ. Their identities – and their fates – are unknown.

The DCJ said Howell was working odd jobs in Connecticut at the time of Arizmendi’s disappearance – cutting grass in Wethersfield, Hartford, New Britain and West Hartford.

New Britain police said on Monday that investigators have now recovered the bodies of at least seven people from a swampy, wooded area behind the shopping plaza at 593 Hartford Road, where a hunter found the first set of remains in 2007. Police have declined to name the suspected killer, citing an ongoing investigation, but said the person they are looking at is no longer a threat to the community.

Four of the seven victims have been identified – all as women who vanished in 2003. The first three sets of remains, found in 2007, belong to Diane Cusack, 55, Mary Jane Menard, 40, and Joyvaline Martinez, 24.

Police said on Monday a fourth set uncovered late last month has been identified as Seymour resident Melanie Camilini, who was 29 years old when she disappeared. Monday would have been her 42nd birthday.

The office of the chief state's attorney said they have a suspect, but are not identifying who it is.

Authorities did not directly answer the question on Monday when asked whether the victims were linked by anything other than the person who killed them.

A medical examiner is working to identify the other newly discovered skeletal remains.

Police Chief James Wardwell said during the news conference on Monday that the remains had apparently been buried for at least a decade. 


 



Photo Credit: Connecticut Department of Correction
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Crash Closes Route 69 in Bristol

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Route 69 is closed in Bristol between Maxine and Ashley roads due to a crash.

Drivers can take round Hill road to get around it.

There is no word on any injuries.

Further information was not immediately available.



Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Route 177 in Farmington Reopened

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Route 177 has reopened in Farmington after a tree fell on utility wires.

The road was closed between Coppermine and Meadow roads, where wires came down on the road.

No further information was immediately available.



Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

At Least 7 Dead, 200+ Hurt After Train Derails in Philly

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UPDATE: For the latest on the investigation into the deadly wreck, click here. NOTE: Those trying to contact passengers on the train should call the Amtrak Hotline at 1-800-523-9101.

At least seven people were killed and over 200 people hurt after an Amtrak train, carrying 238 passengers and five crew members, derailed and rolled onto its side in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia Tuesday night, according to officials.

Police said Wednesday that seven people had died, after the death toll had risen to six earlier when Temple University Hospital officials confirmed one patient had died of their injuries overnight.

All seven cars of Amtrak Northeast Regional Train 188 derailed and came off the tracks near Frankford Junction on the 2000 block of Wheatsheaf Lane shortly after 9 p.m., officials said. The train was heading to New York from Washington, D.C., and had six passenger cars as well as an engine.

"All of a sudden it felt like the brakes were hit hard and then our car," said Michael Black, one of the passengers. "We were third from the last, just slowly started going over to the side. I tried to just brace my arm against it and then just got off."

Daniel Hernandez, who lives close to the tracks, heard the derailment.

"It sounded like a bunch of shopping carts crashing into each other," he said.

Hernandez says the crashing sound lasted a few seconds and he heard chaos and screaming.

Mayor Michael Nutter confirmed at least five people were killed in the derailment during a news conference late Tuesday.

"This was an absolute disastrous mess," Nutter said. "I have never seen anything like it in my life. Many of these folks are not from Philadelphia."

Nutter, who said the incident was a "Level 3 mass casualty event," did not speak on a possible cause.

"We do not know what happened here," he said. "We're not going to try to speculate about that."

Governor Tom Wolf arrived at the scene and spoke with Mayor Nutter during another press conference shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday. Wolf said his thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the crash and all those affected.

Officials have not yet revealed the identity of the deceased victims.

"I've never seen anything so devastating," said Philadelphia Fire Department Deputy Commissioner Jesse Wilson. "They're in pretty bad shape. You can see that they're completely, completely derailed from the track. They've been destroyed completely. The aluminum shell has been destroyed and they've been overturned completely."

Officials say over 140 people were hospitalized and at least six of them are in critical condition. Victims were taken to Temple University Hospital, Aria Health-Frankford, Hahnemann University Hospital and the Albert Einstein Medical Center.

Jefferson University Hospital treated 26 patients, the majority of which had minor injuries, according to a spokesperson.

A spokesperson at Temple University Hospital says they treated at least 36 people who are in various conditions.

An Aria Health spokeswoman says 26 patients were treated at its Frankford location while 50 were brought to its Torresdale hospital.

Hahnemann University Hospital treated about 25 patients with mostly minor injuries and a few traumas according to a spokesman.

Finally, Albert Einstein Medical Center treated 10 patients.

The incident required a 4-alarm response, including 120 firefighters and 200 police officers. An emergency response staging area was established at Frankford and Castor streets.

Officials say they don't believe the incident was an act of terror and preliminary information indicates it was an accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board has sent a go-team to investigate the derailment. Members of that team arrived early wednesday morning. NTSB investigator Mike Flanigon is leading the team as investigator-in-charge. NTSB Board Member Robert Sumwalt is accompanying the team and will serve as the main spokesman during the on-scene phase of the investigation.

The derailment occurred at almost the exact same location of another deadly derailment 71 years ago. On Sept. 6, 1943, a Congressional Limited careened off the tracks with 541 passengers on-board, including many service members on leave. Seventy-nine passengers were killed and 117 were injured.

Accounts From Passengers

Yameen Allworld, a Philadelphia music producer who has worked with the Roots, was on the train and posted a video on Instagram. In the video passengers could be heard crying and crawling through the sideways car.

Janelle Richards, a producer for NBC Nightly News, was another passenger on the train. Richards says she heard a loud crash around 9:20 p.m. She also said people flew up in the air and there was a lot of "jerking back and forth" and "a lot of smoke."

Patrick Murphy, a former congressman from Pennsylvania's 8th District and Iraq War veteran was in the cafe car when the train crashed.

"It wobbled at first and then went off the tracks," Murphy said. "There were some pretty banged-up people. One guy next to me was passed out. We kicked out the window in the top of the train car and helped get everyone out."

Max Helfman, 19, of Watchung, New Jersey was on the train with his mother when the crash occurred. Helfman says they were in the last car of the train when they suddenly felt it shake. The car then flipped over.

"People were thrown to the ground," Helfman said. "Chairs inside the train became unscrewed and suitcases were falling on people. My mother flew into me and I literally had to catch her. People were bleeding from their head. It was awful."

Helfman says he saw smoke after the car flipped over.

"We were worried it may explode so we tried to get people out of the car," he said.

Helfman says he helped some of the passengers squeeze through a door that was slightly open. Responding police officers then helped them through a back door.

After getting off the train, Helfman and his mother boarded a bus that traveled to Webster Elementary.

"I'm scratched and may have a concussion," he said. "At this point it's hard to tell." 

Jeff Kutler, a passenger traveling from Washington, D.C. to his home in New York was riding in the quiet car when he realized something was wrong.

"It started tipping to the right and after a couple seconds, maybe it was half a secong, I realized there was nothing good going to happen here, this train is tipping over," Kutler said.

U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) was also on the train though he disembarked at the Wilmington, Delaware station about 40 miles south from where the train derailed.

"I am grateful to be home safe and sound in Wilmington, and my heart goes out to all those on the train tonight," Carper said. "I hope all of those that are injured recover quickly, and I will keep them in my thoughts and prayers."

Suspended Service

Amtrak's Northeast Corridor service between New York and Philadelphia is suspended. SEPTA regional rail service is also suspended until further notice on the Trenton Regional Rail line due to the accident. A SEPTA official said it's likely the Trenton Line will be suspended throughout the day Wednesday and possibly through the remainder of the work week.

Service was restored on the Chestnut Hill West line just after 5 a.m. SEPTA officials said passengers of that line should expect delays.

SEPTA officials said additional train cars would be added along the West Trenton line to accommodate Trenton Line passengers looking for an alternate service. Passengers are also encouraged to use the Market/Frankford line as an alternate.

Several passengers were left stranded at 30th Street Station due to the deadly derailment and the subsequent cancellations.

This story is developing. Stay with NBC10.com for updates.


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