A 17-year-old boy from Nebraska is facing felony charges for derailing a train and posting the crash on YouTube. The incident occurred on April 21, when the teen tampered with the railway components, causing a BNSF Railway train carrying coal to derail. The resulting damage amounted to around $350,000. Despite being a train enthusiast, the teen notified authorities of the derailment and later described to them how the crash could have occurred. Investigators found a misaligned switch, which was missing a padlock that would have prevented unintended movement. The teen had set up a camera tripod near the crash site just before the incident and showed police a video he had taken on his phone. A video linked to the teen was uploaded to YouTube two days later, titled “Loaded BNSF Arbor COLLIDES and DERAILS in Bennet, NE! MOST INSANE VIDEO I’VE EVER TAKEN!” The teen faces two felony counts of criminal mischief for intentional property damage. Prosecutors are seeking to move the case to adult court. Lancaster County Attorney Patrick F. Condon and BNSF Railway have not commented on the situation.
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Nebraska teenager facing charges for posting ‘crazy’ train derailment video on YouTube
