Washington Subway System Sued for Wrongful Death

The family of a woman who died in a smoke-filled subway tunnel in Washington D.C. Have filed a $50 million lawsuit against the subway system on Friday.

The lawsuit, filed by Marcus and Anthony Glover, sons of late Carol Glover, alleges that the Washington Metropoliton Area Transit Authority failed to prevent the incident or respond quickly enough after it occurred.

“As a direct and proximate result of defendant WMATA’s negligence, Ms. Glover was trapped, helpless for nearly 45 minutes as it filled with smoke; during this time she fought, ever more agonizingly, to breathe as the smoke gradually sapped the life from her body,” the complaint said.

Federal investigators attribute the electrical arcing from the third rail as the cause of the smoke, which affected more than 80 people.

Members of congress have said that the ventilation fans caused smoke to funnel into the rail cars and cause passengers to inhale smoke.