Ex-Amtrak Engineer Acquitted in Philadelphia Crash That Killed 8

The National Transportation Safety Board identified Mr. Bostian’s actions as the probable cause of the crash and said he had lost “situational awareness” when his attention was diverted.

Mr. Bostian’s lawyer, Brian McMonagle, argued that “criminals” had been throwing stones at passenger trains in the area just before the crash and that radio broadcasts of those reports had caused Mr. Bostian to become distracted by “the madness of what was happening on the tracks.”

Mr. McMonagle said on Friday that his client had wondered for seven years whether he would ever get his life back. “Today this jury gave him his future back,” Mr. McMonagle said.

“Brandon made a mistake because of the distraction, and that’s not a crime,” he said. “I explained to the jury that good people make honest mistakes every day, and it’s not criminal conduct.”

Thomas R. Kline, a lawyer who represented some of the victims and their families, said on Friday that it was important for them to hear Mr. Bostian’s lawyer say that his client had made a mistake.