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Trespasser Tries to Zap Amtrak Back with Lawsuit
By
Billy Parker
Published Aug 31, 2008
Modified Aug 31, 2008
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By
Billy Parker
Published Aug 31, 2008
Modified Aug 31, 2008
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An Astoria man is suing Amtrak because they "should have known that people trespassed" in the area of a Boston station where he was severely electrocuted two years ago. After a night of drinking in July 2006, 25-year-old Brian Hopkins went down to Boston's South Station at 2 a.m. after telling friends that he "wanted to get back to New York." There he tried to force his way inside an Acela and climbed on top of a parked train car when he was jolted by 27,500 volts from arcing overhead wires. He suffered third-degree burns over 85 percent of his body, and doctors have since amputated his left hand and leg. In the suit, his family claims that Amtrak should have taken more precautions to keep trespassers out of the potentially dangerous area.
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electrocution
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Billy Parker
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