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Metro-North Track Foreman's Death Prompts Lawsuit From Widow

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The widow of a Metro-North worker who was fatally hit by a train last year is suing the railroad for $30 million.

The lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Connecticut by Hannah Luden, accuses Metro-North of negligence.

Luden's husband, Robert, was killed on May 28, 2013 by a passenger train in West Haven, Conn.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the 52-year-old track foreman had requested a track section be taken out of service for maintenance, and the section was placed back in service too soon by a student traffic controller who didn't have the required approval.

The lawsuit alleges that the train was traveling at 70 mph and Luden had no way to get out of the way before he was struck.

The NTSB recommended in June that Metro-North Railroad provide backup protection for track maintenance crews who depended on train dispatchers.

Luden, who lived with his family in East Haven, was a 27-year veteran of the railroad.

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