Driver of Crashed Train: I Warned About That Curve

The driver who was speeding, distracted, and had received three warnings when his train derailed appears to blame a curve in the tracks for the deadly crash in a call made moments after the disaster. In a recording that has emerged in Spanish media, Francisco Jose Garzon describes the curve near the city of Santiago de Compostela as "inhuman" and says he had warned safety authorities about it previously, the BBC reports.

During the call, Garzon repeatedly says "poor passengers" and adds "I hope no one has died." He admits speeding, saying he "got distracted" and was meant to be going 80kph "but I was going at 190." Garzon has been charged with negligent homicide in the deaths of 79 passengers. (More train crash stories.)