Spanish train crash driver “boasted” about speeding on Facebook

One driver of the Spanish train which came off its tracks and smashed into a concrete wall, killing at least 80 people, had boasted about speeding on his personal Facebook page in the past.

Francisco Jose Garzon Amo, 52, will be questioned in the near future regarding the crash. The driver, who had 30 years of experience prior to the crash, has been placed under investigation and was put under police guard in hospital on Thursday. While at least 80 people died as a result of the accident and 130 were left injured, he only suffered light wounds.

Investigations into the crash have indicated that the train had been travelling at more than twice the 80km/h speed limit when it was derailed on the dangerous curve as it approached Santiago de Compostela in north western Spain.

It has been alleged that in one Facebook post, Mr Garzon had said “it would be amazing to go alongside police and overtake them and trigger off the speed camera” as well as: “Ha ha ha. That would be a lovely fine for [the train company] Renfe.”

His comments were posted beneath a worrying photograph of a train’s speedometer which read 200km/h. The boastful comments and photograph have fuelled the already prominent speculation that human error was to blame for the tragedy.

Another driver is reported to have confessed that the train was travelling at 190 km/h when the crash occurred. Investigations into the tragic accident will continue in the hope of finding out the reason for the train travelling at such a high speed and establishing why the security devices fitted to make sure speed stays within correct limits had failed. 

Molly Kersey