The Amtrak engineer driving the train that derailed in Philadelphia, killing at least seven people and injuring more than 200, has a Bay area connection: He once worked at Caltrain when the agency contracted with Amtrak, Caltrain has confirmed.
Brandon Bostian, 32, worked at Caltrain several years ago, according to a spokesperson for the Bay Area commuter rail line. It is not clear what job he held, but Bostian was reportedly a San Francisco resident before moving to New York.
Tuesday night, the Amtrak train was traveling at 106 mph along a sharp curve where the speed limit is 50 mph, when the engineer slammed on the emergency brake, moments before the train hurled off the tracks, the NTSB said Wednesday.
NBC News confirmed Wednesday afternoon the engineer was identified as Bostian. Bostian has not given a formal statement to investigators, but he has hired a lawyer.
Investigators hope to speak with Bostian but want to give him a day or two to recover from the "traumatic event."
