The Metropolitan Transportation Authority agreed in January 2026 to pay more than $182 million to resolve claims from the 2015 Metro-North Valhalla crash settlement, closing nearly eleven years of litigation over the deadliest wreck in Metro-North Railroad’s history. The money went to the families of five commuters killed aboard Harlem Line Train 659, the family of the SUV driver who was also killed, and roughly 29 injured passengers. It followed a Westchester County jury’s 2024 finding that Metro-North was primarily responsible for the deaths and injuries.
What Happened at the Commerce Street Crossing
On the evening of February 3, 2015, 49-year-old Ellen Brody drove her Mercedes-Benz SUV into rush-hour traffic backed up at the Commerce Street grade crossing in Valhalla, New York, and stopped past the stop line, inside the crossing.1NTSB. Railroad Accident Report, Collision Between Metro-North Railroad Train and SUV, Valhalla, New York When the gates came down, one hit the back of her vehicle. She got out, looked at the gate, returned to the driver’s seat, and pulled forward onto the tracks.2CBS News. Metro-North Train Deadly Crash Valhalla
Metro-North Train 659 was traveling at 59 mph. The engineer applied the emergency brake about 260 feet before the crossing, and the train struck the SUV at 51 mph, pushing it 665 feet down the tracks into the electrified third rail.3NTSB. DCA15MR006 Investigation Page Sections of that steel rail tore loose, punctured the SUV’s gas tank, and speared upward into the front passenger car. About 343 feet of third rail penetrated the railcar, and a fire broke out.1NTSB. Railroad Accident Report, Collision Between Metro-North Railroad Train and SUV, Valhalla, New York
Six people died: Brody and five passengers in the lead car. Joseph Nadol, 42, was an investment analyst at J.P. Morgan. Robert Dirks, 36, was a chemistry researcher. Eric Vandercar, 53, was a financial executive. Walter Liedtke, 69, was a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Aditya Tomar was a Danbury, Connecticut resident married to Rosetta Persaud.4The New York Times. Looking at Lives of Crash Victims Who Shared Train Routine Nine other passengers and the engineer were hurt. The third rail also blocked the rear exit door, forcing survivors out through windows and a single front side door.5Kreindler. Metro-North Train Crash Valhalla NY
Why Metro-North Was Found Liable
The National Transportation Safety Board named Brody’s move onto the tracks as the probable cause of the collision. But its 2017 report identified what turned the collision into a mass-casualty event: Metro-North’s third-rail system.3NTSB. DCA15MR006 Investigation Page
Metro-North is the only U.S. railroad that uses an “underrunning” third-rail design, which sits at an elevated height that exposes it to vehicle impacts at grade crossings. The system was supposed to include a breakaway mechanism that would let the rail detach and drop harmlessly in a collision. The NTSB found that breakaway design had never been properly implemented. The heavy steel rail held firm, was ripped from the ground by the train, and penetrated the passenger car. The board concluded the third-rail assembly “catastrophically compromised” the lead railcar.1NTSB. Railroad Accident Report, Collision Between Metro-North Railroad Train and SUV, Valhalla, New York
Plaintiffs built their case on two theories. The first was that the third-rail design was defective because the breakaway failed, letting hundreds of feet of rail impale the car.5Kreindler. Metro-North Train Crash Valhalla NY The second faulted engineer Steven Smalls Jr., who told investigators he saw a “reflection at the crossing gate” before recognizing a vehicle on the tracks and applied the emergency brake only about three seconds before impact.6ABC News. Metro-North Engineer Helped Passengers After Fatal Crash
The 2024 Jury Verdict
The consolidated case was filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Westchester County, as In re Metro-North Train Accident at Valhalla, New York, February 3, 2015, Index No. 52628/2015.7Expert Institute. $182M Settlement Valhalla Train Crash In July 2024, after years of discovery and motion practice, the jury returned its liability verdict.
The jury found Metro-North 71% responsible for the deaths of the five passengers and the injuries to survivors, faulting both the third-rail design and the engineer’s conduct. On Brody’s own death, it assigned Metro-North 63% of the blame. The remaining 29% of the responsibility for the passenger deaths was placed on Brody.8ABC7 New York. MTA Settlement Worth $182M Reached in 2015 Metro-North Commuter Train Crossing Crash
How the $182 Million Was Divided
After the liability verdict, the parties reached a global settlement of more than $182 million, one of the largest in MTA history. Approximately $153 million went to the families of the five killed passengers. Individual amounts reflected factors such as each victim’s age and projected lifetime earnings:9New York Post. MTA to Pay Record $182M Settlement for Tragic 2015 Train Crash in NYC Suburb That Killed 6
- Joseph Nadol: approximately $79 million
- Robert Dirks: $35 million
- Eric Vandercar: $25 million
- Aditya Tomar: $10 million
- Walter Liedtke: $4 million
The 29 injured survivors received settlements ranging from $125,000 to $8 million.10People. Six People Died After Train Crashed Into SUV, $182M Settlement Reached The families also received shares of Brody’s $1.3 million insurance policy and a separate $3.2 million settlement with the Town of Mount Pleasant. About 30% of the total was designated for legal fees, and a judge later sealed the settlement records.9New York Post. MTA to Pay Record $182M Settlement for Tragic 2015 Train Crash in NYC Suburb That Killed 6
The Separate Brody Estate Settlement
The passenger settlement did not resolve claims tied to the driver’s own death. In a separate resolution reported in June 2026, Metro-North agreed to pay $1.5 million to Ellen Brody’s estate, with an additional $874,000 covering a decade of legal fees for her estate’s attorneys. The Town of Mount Pleasant paid the estate over $24,000.11lohud. Records Reveal $2.4M Settlement for Family of Driver in Valhalla Crash
What Has and Hasn’t Changed Since
The NTSB recommended risk assessments at all grade crossings near third-rail systems and asked the Town of Mount Pleasant to improve crossing safety. Governor Andrew Cuomo called in early 2016 for eliminating all grade crossings on commuter lines, and the state legislature passed a law in November 2016 requiring a statewide study of rail crossings. The Department of Transportation report the law required was not filed by its April 2017 deadline.12lohud. Valhalla Train Crash Report Editorial The Commerce Street crossing itself was not confirmed to have been closed or physically modified.
Andrew Maloney, who represented injured passengers and Aditya Tomar’s family, said after the settlement that the underlying design flaw was unresolved. “This accident could repeat itself today,” he said, adding that Metro-North’s third-rail design problems “still have not been corrected.”10People. Six People Died After Train Crashed Into SUV, $182M Settlement Reached