Seven hundred eight people were killed in a train wreck near the town of Riverville. Railroad officials say that the train was on its way to deliver some new cargo and crashed as it came around what is known as “The Spiral Curve.” The train was hauling over 11,000 tons when regional trade in Riverville was increasingly more critical.

Citizens of Riverville have been protesting for years that a school and shopping mall shouldn’t be placed behind a sharp bend on a railroad. It used to be a trainyard until they sold it for redevelopment. At the site, there was a shopping mall and elementary school put in place, right in the wake of disaster.

“The train had been going about 35 miles per hour, which would be normal coming into this curve,” said Alan Zingerman, train conductor on the train that crashed into The Spiral Curve. “I don’t know why we didn’t stop.” A train has never before derailed at The Spiral Curve. It remains unclear if a human error occurred or if mechanical problems were present with the crash of train #121.

Mayor James Cole of Riverville is facing several felonies, as the bill was proposed several times to take action by fixing The Spiral Curve. The train accident has sparked widespread debate over train safety and the placement of commercial and educational buildings.

“How could you not want to fix the train track?” said Danica Rogers, a survivor of the train wreck. “708 people are dead because of this horrific event that could have been prevented.”

Federal investigators determine the actual cause of the crash and what could have changed to avoid this outcome. Mayor Cole faces 708 counts of first-degree murder and other crimes, including causing a catastrophe and reckless endangerment for his lack of action on The Spiral Curve train tracks. This is likely to lead to the death penalty. Riverville has not had any train wrecks in its entire history, making this tragedy particularly difficult for many to grasp.

The train wreck was a tragedy, something that has changed the lives of so many. The derailment of train #121 must be remembered throughout time by everyone. We will be updating this story as it unfolds.