NEW YORK (AP) - An engineer who fell asleep at the controls of a Metro-North train that derailed and killed four people in New York City has dropped his lawsuit against the commuter railroad.

The Journal News reported Tuesday on the case. Lawyer Ira Mauer told the paper that engineer William Rockefeller dropped the $10 million suit because he might have been liable for a "devastating" sum if he lost.

He had accused Metro-North of negligence and carelessness, while Metro-North had sued him over the December 2013 crash in the Bronx.

The railroad declined to comment. Court records show the dismissal happened late last month.

The train derailed while taking a curve at about 82 mph (132 kph), nearly three times the speed limit.

It later emerged that Rockefeller had undiagnosed sleep apnea.