Trial begins in Spain over 2013 train crash that killed 80

By RAQUEL REDONDO
Associated Press

MADRID (AP) — A trial has opened in Spain over a 2013 train derailment that killed 80 passengers and injured 145 others. Prosecutors are seeking four-year prison sentences for the train’s driver and a former security director at the state-owned rail infrastructure company. They both are accused of professional negligence. Protesters screamed insults at the ex-director as he left court on Wednesday. The train crashed against a concrete wall near the city of Santiago de Compostela on July 24, 2013. An investigation showed it was traveling 179 kph (111 mph) on a stretch with an 80 kph (50 mph) speed limit. The probe also revealed the driver answered a phone call from the conductor seconds before the crash.