Crash engineer out on bail after admitting his responsibility

Engineer escorted from crash

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA The engineer of the train that crashed last week at the entrance to Santiago, which resulted in 79 deaths (so far) and over 100 injured, was released on his own recognizance last night after having made his statement before Judge Luis Aláez, according to sources close to the latter. Francisco José Garzón Amo, 52, admitted he had committed an 'imprudence' and that the accident was due to human error. He apparently decided to make a statement after several days in which he refused to speak, this time with his own lawyer beside him. Although he was released until further appearances are necessary, particularly those emerging from the train's black box, he must report once a week at the court and he has had his passport removed. Court sources say that his statement was 'very emotional' when he was asked why he hadn't stopped the train in time to avoid the disaster that followed. Witnesses and survivors able to do so have been questioned by the National Police, who are now concentrating on them in order to establish exactly what happened, independently from the statement by the engineer.