Remembering the Victims of the Philadelphia Amtrak Train Crash

Remembering the eight who died in the Philadelphia derailment of Amtrak train 188.

When Amtrak train 188 derailed just north of Philadelphia the night of May 12, 2015, eight people were killed and more than 200 injured. Grim scenes of the wreckage showed mangled train cars, bruised and bloodied passengers. All of the train's cars left the track and tipped at varying severe angles. One car was crushed almost beyond recognition.

Like many people in the United States, I awoke the next morning to news of the terrible crash. I felt more of a connection to this train tragedy than to others because I know that route well. Having lived in both Philly and New York, I've traveled that stretch of track north of Philly many times.

Then came the horrifying news from a Swarthmore College classmate: our fellow Swattie, Rachel Jacobs '97, was missing. It was believed that she had boarded the train Tuesday night at 30th Street Station, on her way home to New York where she lived with her husband and 2-year-old son, from her new job in Philly as CEO of a tech start-up. Late Wednesday we found out that she had indeed been on the train, and that she didn't make it. Rachel was one of the dead.

Today Rachel is being mourned by her family and friends, classmates and colleagues, and the entire Detroit Nation diaspora.

And Rachel was not alone. There are many families mourning today, in the U.S. and in Canada. Join us in remembering all who died in the Philly Amtrak crash.

Finamore, 47, was a senior account director at the firm of Cushman & Wakefield in Manhattan.

Laura's smile could light up a room and her infectious laughter will be remembered by many for years to come, said her family in a statement. She was always there when you needed her — with a hug, encouraging words or a pat on the back.

Abid Gilani, a 55-year-old senior vice president, was a passenger on the Northeast Regional Train 188 when it veered off the track in Philadelphia. Gilani and his mother from Toronto had attended funeral services for his uncle in Virginia, and he had to return to New York City for work, a cousin told the Daily News.