CLEAN : New York train crash kills four

The transcript discusses a train incident involving injuries, with some critically injured. Most were taken to the hospital. An investigation is underway, focusing on track conditions, train speed, and the black box. Fortunately, it was not a commuting day, which minimized the number of passengers. A personal account describes the shock of seeing the train derailment on the news.

Why was it fortunate that the train incident occurred on a non-commuting day?

What was the reaction of the speaker upon seeing the news about the train incident?