Who Is Brandon Bostian, Amtrak Engineer At The Helm Of Ill-Fated Train?

The engineer manning the Amtrak train that derailed in Philadelphia en route to New York from Washington, D.C., Tuesday was 32-year-old Brandon Bostian.

Who Is Brandon Bostian?

Bostian first began working for Amtrak in 2006 as a conductor after graduating from the University of Missouri with a degree in business administration and management. He was promoted to engineer in 2010. The Memphis native was also briefly employed by commuter rail line Caltrain while living in San Francisco.

On Tuesday night, Bostian futilely attempted to slow the Amtrak communter train as it approached a curve with a 50 mph speed limit going more than 100 mph. As a result, the train’s seven cars derailed. Thus far, seven passengers have been confirmed dead, while 200 more reportedly suffered injuries. Bostian survived the accident and was treated for a laceration to his head.

Bostian was interviewed by police immediately after the accident and told them that he did not remember the crash or the events leading up to it. His attorney, Robert Goggis, explained that Bostian had suffered a concussion and has “no explanation” for the accident to ABC News. Goggis also said that Bostian had voluntarily given authorities his cell phone and gave a blood sample.

After the train crashed, Bostian reportedly used his cell phone to dial 911.

The National Transportation Safety Board is looking into the accident and plans to give Bostian a thorough interview after he’s had some time to recover from the trauma of the crash.

“This person has gone through a very traumatic event and we want to give him the opportunity to convalesce for a day or so before we interview him,” NTSB member Robert Sumwalt said.