Man named by local media is said to have written previously of driving locomotive so fast he was on the brink of getting fined
Francisco Jose Garzon Amo, the driver of the train which derailed
killing at least 80 people in Spain, and a speedometer reading he
previously posted on Facebook boasting about the speeds he reached
Photograph: Enterprise News And Pictures
A man named as the driver of the Spanish train that crashed at high speed, killing 80 passengers, had previously posted on Facebook about going so fast that he was on the brink of getting a fine, reports say. The train's driver, named in local reports as Francisco Jose Garzon Amo, is expected to be interviewed on Friday by an investigating judge in possession of the train's "black box" data recorder. He is said not to be under arrest, though on Thursday he was understood to be in hospital with a police guard.
Spanish media reported boasts Garzon Amo allegedly posted on Facebook about how fast he was driving a train in March 2012.
The 52-year-old, who together with a second driver survived the crash, allegedly posted a picture of a train speedometer at 200km/h (124mph), writing: "I'm at the limit and I can't go any faster or they will give me a fine." His Facebook page has since been blocked.
"What a blast it would be to go parallel with the Guardia Civil
[Spanish police] and go past them triggering the radar. Haha what a fine
for Renfe [Spanish rail operator] haha," he allegedly wrote.
Garzon Amo was described in reports a 30-year employee of Renfe who became an assistant driver in 2000 and a fully qualified driver in 2003. He is believed to have taken control of the train from a second driver about 65 miles south of Santiago de Compostela.
According to reports one of the drivers realised what was about to happen before the crash and made a desperate call to Renfe ahead of the bend saying: "I'm going at 190kmh, I'm going to derail."
In a second call to Renfe after the accident, the driver explained that he was trapped in the train. "We are human, we are human," he is reported to have said. "I hope there are no dead because they would fall on my conscience."
Many questions remain unanswered about what went wrong, with some experts claiming that high speed alone would not explain the crash and speculation that the train's braking systems might have failed. Questions arose over whether the train should have braked automatically on the stretch of track due to safety systems or would have been under the complete control of the driver.
The Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, said judicial authorities and Spain's public works ministry had launched parallel investigations into what caused the crash.
fine." His Facebook page has since been blocked. Garzon Amo was described in reports a 30-year employee of Renfe who became an assistant driver in 2000 and a fully qualified driver in 2003. He is believed to have taken control of the train from a second driver about 65 miles south of Santiago de Compostela.
According to reports one of the drivers realised what was about to happen before the crash and made a desperate call to Renfe ahead of the bend saying: "I'm going at 190kmh, I'm going to derail."
In a second call to Renfe after the accident, the driver explained that he was trapped in the train. "We are human, we are human," he is reported to have said. "I hope there are no dead because they would fall on my conscience."
Many questions remain unanswered about what went wrong, with some experts claiming that high speed alone would not explain the crash and speculation that the train's braking systems might have failed. Questions arose over whether the train should have braked automatically on the stretch of track due to safety systems or would have been under the complete control of the driver.
The Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, said judicial authorities and Spain's public works ministry had launched parallel investigations into what caused the crash.
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