Hell train driver tale
‘Foggy’ on derail that killed 8
THE ENGINEER in last year’s deadly Amtrak crash in Philadelphia had a “very foggy memory” of the derailment — and he wasn’t using his cell phone when the crash occurred, he told investigators, according to documents released Monday.
“I recall hoping that the train would not tip completely over. And at the same time, I remember being fearful that even if the train didn’t tip over, if it remained somewhat on the track — I was hoping that the train would fall back down onto the track because it lost speed,” Brandon Bostian told federal investigators looking into the May 12 derailment that killed eight people and injured 200 others.
More than 2,000 pages of information released by a federal accident investigations board highlight factual information gathered so far.
Interviews with Bostian were conducted in May and November, and the transcripts represent his first full statements on the derailment. Bostian told investigators he’d slept normally in the days before the crash.
“The only visual memory I have from that sequence of events is I remember seeing objects fly in front of me, kind of a bluish tint to them,” Bostian said.
Following the wreck, Bostian said, he turned on his cell phone and called 911.
“He had not been under high levels of stress, had not been feeling ill, experiencing weakness or nausea, nor was ever diagnosed with any sleep disorders. He did not believe that he snored while sleeping. He stated that he did not feel tired on the day of the accident,” investigators wrote in one report released Monday.
Investigators have already released substantial information about the crash of Amtrak Train 188 — including data showing that the train was zooming at 106 mph, more than twice the speed limit, before taking a curve at Frankford Junction, where trains are supposed to travel at 50 mph, according to the NTSB.