The Metrorail train that plowed into the back of another train during yesterday's evening rush hour was two months overdue for brake work.
Four bodies were removed from the wreckage this morning, bringing the total number dead to nine.
The car was one of the older models in Metro's fleet, and federal officials had previously made recommendations that the car be replaced due to safety concerns.
A spokesperson from the National Transportation Safety Board stated that the train that jacknifed into the air before landing on top of the other train did not have data recorders that would have provided details of the train's movement prior to the crash.
Officials are uncertain if the delayed maintenance on the train's brakes contributed to the crash. An investigation into the cause of the collision is still underway.
Seven of the nine killed have been identified thus far. Jeanice McMillan, 42, of Springfield, was the operator of the second train. The rest were passengers, six of which have been identified: retired Maj. Gen. David F. Wherley Jr., who headed the D.C. National Guard, and his wife Ann Wherley, both 62; Lavonda King, 23; Dennis Hawkins, 64; Mary Doolittle, 59, and Ana Fernandez, 40.
More on this story as it continues to develop.
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