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Span train driver Garzon questioned by judge | Span train driver Garzon questioned by judge |
(about 2 hours later) | |
The driver of a train that crashed near the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela, killing 79 people, has been questioned by a judge. | |
Francisco Jose Garzon Amo was detained on suspicion of reckless homicide after the accident. | |
He is suspected of driving too fast on a bend. | |
Spanish media says Mr Garzon has been charged but allowed to leave the court. The judge has retained his passport, according to reports. | |
The investigation is still believed to be open and the driver will have to face trial at a later date. He will have to report to the judge once a week. | |
Eyewitness | |
Reports say the train was travelling at more than double the speed limit at the time of the crash. | Reports say the train was travelling at more than double the speed limit at the time of the crash. |
Mr Garzon, 52, was pictured being escorted away from the wreckage by police, blood pouring from a head injury. He left hospital on Saturday and was immediately taken to the central police station in Santiago. | Mr Garzon, 52, was pictured being escorted away from the wreckage by police, blood pouring from a head injury. He left hospital on Saturday and was immediately taken to the central police station in Santiago. |
He had refused to make a statement or answer questions until now. | |
Spanish newspaper El Pais said Mr Garzon had admitted to "recklessness" in court. | |
The judge reportedly said Mr Garzon was free to leave the court but was banned from driving trains. | |
On Sunday, an eyewitness to the disaster told the BBC that he had overheard the driver admitting minutes after the crash that he had been going too fast. | |
Evaristo Iglesias, a resident of Santiago de Compostela, said he heard the driver saying he tried to slow down but "it was too late". | Evaristo Iglesias, a resident of Santiago de Compostela, said he heard the driver saying he tried to slow down but "it was too late". |
Mr Iglesias said the driver, who was shocked and dazed, was repeatedly "saying he wanted to die" rather than see the damage at the scene. | Mr Iglesias said the driver, who was shocked and dazed, was repeatedly "saying he wanted to die" rather than see the damage at the scene. |
Sunday's court hearing was closed but the judge was expected to decide whether to remand the driver as an official suspect, release him on bail, or free him without charge. | |
At least 130 people were injured in the accident. It emerged that one of them - identified as an American woman - died on Sunday. | |
Dozens more remain in a critical condition. | |
Experience | |
All eight carriages of the train - packed with more than 200 passengers - careered off the tracks into a concrete wall as they sped around the curve on the express route between Madrid and the port city of Ferrol on the Galician coast. | All eight carriages of the train - packed with more than 200 passengers - careered off the tracks into a concrete wall as they sped around the curve on the express route between Madrid and the port city of Ferrol on the Galician coast. |
Leaking diesel burst into flames in some of the carriages. | Leaking diesel burst into flames in some of the carriages. |
The train's data recording "black box" is with the judge in charge of the investigation. Officials have so far not said how fast the train was going when it derailed. | The train's data recording "black box" is with the judge in charge of the investigation. Officials have so far not said how fast the train was going when it derailed. |
Gonzalo Ferre, president of Spanish rail network administrator Adif, said the driver should have started slowing the train 4km (2.5 miles) before the spot where the accident happened. | Gonzalo Ferre, president of Spanish rail network administrator Adif, said the driver should have started slowing the train 4km (2.5 miles) before the spot where the accident happened. |
The president of Spanish train operator Renfe, Julio Gomez Pomar, has said the train had no technical problems. | The president of Spanish train operator Renfe, Julio Gomez Pomar, has said the train had no technical problems. |
He said the driver had 30 years' experience with the company and had been operating trains on the line for more than a year. | He said the driver had 30 years' experience with the company and had been operating trains on the line for more than a year. |
People from several nationalities were among the injured, including five US citizens and one Briton. Two Americans were among the dead. | |
The crash was one of the worst rail disasters in Spanish history. | The crash was one of the worst rail disasters in Spanish history. |