NTSB investigators say Amtrak engineer was not using cellphone before deadly derailment

Investigators for the National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday that it has been determined that Amtrak engineer Brandon Bostian was not using his cellphone before the deadly derailment last month in Philadelphia.

The Associated Press noted that the agency checked and analyzed Bostain’s cell records and found that his phone was not in use and the train’s Wi-Fi system wasn’t accessed before the crash.

A report of the investigation said that it "does not indicate that any calls, texts or data usage occurred during the time the engineer was operating the train."

As previously reported, the crash occurred on May 12 when Train 188 came off the tracks at the Frankford Junction in Philadelphia. The speed limit in that particular area is 50 mph, however, it was determined early in the investigation that the locomotive was actually going over 100 mph before it derailed. Eight passengers on board were killed in the crash and another 200 were injured.

In the wake of the derailment several questions and concerns were raised about the safety of the Amtrak’s regional rail system. Federal regulators ordered new safety measures including the installation of an Automatic Train Control system near the site of the crash.

The NTSB’s investigation is ongoing.

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