Senator feared son was in Amtrak crash

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) on Wednesday said the derailment of an Amtrak train in Philadelphia “hits close to home” because he feared his son was among the victims.

“There was a period of time last night when I didn’t know the whereabouts of my son, who was scheduled to be on an Amtrak back to New Jersey, and later found out he was on the next train and safe,” Menendez said of Tuesday night’s Amtrak Northeast Regional 188 crash.

{mosads}“Unfortunately, many New Jersey families this morning aren’t as fortunate as they search for loved ones and answers,” Menendez added.

Tuesday’s accident killed seven passengers and wounded more than 100 others.

“As someone who regularly rides the Northeast Corridor to and from D.C., I am horrified by what happened,” Menendez said.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and the brave first responders who rushed to their aid,” Menendez added.

The New Jersey lawmaker also vowed he would monitor the results of a federal investigation into the derailment. Menendez said he had already spoken with Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx to that end.

President Obama said on Wednesday he was “shocked and deeply saddened” by the accident.

“Along the Northeast corridor, Amtrak is a way of life for many,” he said.

“From Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia to New York City and Boston, this is a tragedy that touches us all,” Obama added.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter (D) on Wednesday refused to speculate about the number of passengers who may still be missing after the accident.

“We are not getting into hard specifics until we know for sure,” Nutter said.

“This is a horrific scene,” he added. “I need your patience and understanding as we try to get through it.”

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) arrived in Philadelphia Wednesday morning to begin their analysis of the crash scene.

Amtrak additionally announced it was examining a black box recovered from the derailment’s wreckage at a facility in Delaware the same day.