Amtrak Train Was Going 107 MPH, More Than Twice The Speed Limit
The Amtrak train that derailed in Philadelphia on Tuesday night had been going 107 mph before the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board announced on Wednesday -- which is more than twice the legal speed limit.
The New York Times reports that data from the train's "black box" data recorder also indicates that the train's speed was above 100 mph at the time.
According to a WTXF report, the engineer on Northeast Regional Train 188 has been identified as 32-year-old Brandon Bostian. He was taken to a local hospital after the crash and blood samples were taken from him in accordance with standard procedure. The sources also said that Bostian asked for a lawyer and told city investigators he didn't remember what happened.
The train's "black box" was recovered and sent for analysis, hopefully yielding key information about what went wrong.
"NTSB confirms preliminary data shows #Amtrak train speed exceeded 100 mph prior to derailment. Further calibrations are being conducted," the agency said on Twitter.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said it was possible that some of the passengers listed on the train's manifest never boarded the train, while others may not have checked in with authorities.
"We will not cease our efforts until we go through every vehicle," the mayor said, adding that rescuers had expanded the search area and were using dogs to look for victims in case someone was thrown from the wreckage.
