A 17-year-old boy in 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 loaded with coal to derail. The damage totaled around $350,000. Despite notifying authorities of the derailment, the teen was later found to have intentionally caused the crash. Investigators discovered a misaligned switch that was missing a padlock, which led to the crash. The teen was able to describe the switch and how it worked and had a camera tripod set up near the crash site minutes before the accident. He also showed police a video he took on his phone, which was later uploaded to YouTube. The video was titled “Loaded BNSF Arbor COLLIDES and DERAILS in Bennet, NE! MOST INSANE VIDEO I’VE EVER TAKEN!” The teen has been charged with two felony counts of criminal mischief for intentionally damaging or tampering with property. Prosecutors are seeking to move the case to adult court. Law enforcement and the railway company are investigating the incident further.
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Nebraska teenager faces charges after posting video of ‘crazy’ train derailment on YouTube
