Investigators say the driver of a train that crashed in Spain last week was on the phone when it derailed and killed 79 passengers, according to breaking news reports.
The Associated Press reports that the driver, Francisco José Garzón Amo, was on the phone at the time the crash occurred. They say the train was traveling 95 mph at the time, but other sources including the BBC report that it was closer to 120 mph. The speed limit on that section of track is said to be 50 mph.
Garzón train driver remains in custody and has been charged with reckless manslaughter. More on this as we get it.
Update: The AP now says investigation, which involved examining the train's black box data recorders, reveals that the train derailed at 95 mph, nearly twice the speed limit at that area. It had been going 119 mph before that, and the driver slammed on the brakes "seconds before the crash." The brakes should have been applied about a mile-and-a-half before the curve, officials said.
Garzón was reportedly on the phone with a rail company official at the time of the crash, and was "consulting a paper document" when doing so.
Photo credit AP