Driver in deadly Spain train crash blamed for crash by former safety boss
- Andres Cortabitarte, on trial, told court the track where 2013 accident happened was ‘100 per cent safe’ and said driver was going too fast
- Francisco Garzon, also on trial, was driving at more than twice speed limit for stretch of track; 80 people were killed and over 140 injured
The former safety director at Spain’s state rail operator, who is on trial over a deadly 2013 train derailment, blamed the driver for the disaster on Thursday, saying there was no problem with the track.
Prosecutors are seeking four-year prison sentences for the former ADIF director and the train’s driver over their alleged roles in the accident, which killed 80 people and injured over 140 others.
They blame the July 2013 accident near the northwestern city of Santiago de Compostela, Spain’s deadliest train tragedy since 1944, on human error as well as the railway’s security systems.
But ADIF’s former safety director, Andres Cortabitarte, told the court the track where the accident happened was “100 per cent safe”.
“If it had not been, it would not have been put into service,” he said as he took the stand for the first time.
The accident happened because the driver did not respect the speed limit, he added.
“He was the one who had to control [the speed], but he did not,” Cortabitarte said.