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| | '''Brandon Bostian''' was the 32-year-old [[Amtrak]] train engineer (driver) who was at the controls on May 12, 2015, when his northbound train accelerated sharply just prior to entering a curve at more than double the speed limit.<ref>http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/amtrak-crash/amtrak-crash-train-was-gaining-speed-it-approached-curve-n359191</ref> The train then derailed, killing eight people and injuring more than 200; four days after the crash, 17 passengers continued to be hospitalized.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/16/us/philadelphia-amtrak-train-derailment/</ref> Bostian himself was treated for injuries and released by a hospital the same day of the crash. | | '''Brandon Bostian''' was the 32-year-old [[Amtrak]] train engineer (driver) who was at the controls on May 12, 2015, when his northbound train accelerated sharply just prior to entering a curve at more than double the speed limit.<ref>http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/amtrak-crash/amtrak-crash-train-was-gaining-speed-it-approached-curve-n359191</ref> The train then derailed, killing eight people and injuring more than 200; four days after the crash, 17 passengers continued to be hospitalized.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/16/us/philadelphia-amtrak-train-derailment/</ref> Bostian himself was treated for injuries and released by a hospital the same day of the crash. |
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| | + | Bostian has been a [[homosexual]] activist in support of [[same-sex marriage]], which may explain the media support of him after the crash. Bostian was quoted in 2012 as saying:<ref>http://themidtowngazette.com/2012/10/campaign-for-marriage-equality-continues-in-new-york/</ref> |
| | + | {{cquote|It’s kind of insulting to have to beg people for my right to marry. I feel like we shouldn’t even have to have this fight.}} |
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| | Bostian subsequently told investigators that he could not recall any of the facts surrounding the crash, although on the same day after the crash he did reportedly speak with a friend and edit his Facebook profile to darken his image. Bostian was an expert on trains, with one friend saying he was "obsessed" with them.<ref name="students">http://www.localmemphis.com/story/d/story/high-school-friends-speak-about-bostian/20131/PM-0mEr8TkeTyRPJahLu9w</ref> | | Bostian subsequently told investigators that he could not recall any of the facts surrounding the crash, although on the same day after the crash he did reportedly speak with a friend and edit his Facebook profile to darken his image. Bostian was an expert on trains, with one friend saying he was "obsessed" with them.<ref name="students">http://www.localmemphis.com/story/d/story/high-school-friends-speak-about-bostian/20131/PM-0mEr8TkeTyRPJahLu9w</ref> |
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| | When Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter criticized Bostian, not by name, for the reckless speed, the media and the NTSB lashed back at ... Nutter. The media then published stories from friends of Bostian who praised him. The NTSB claimed that Bostian was "extremely cooperative" with the investigation, even though he asserted that he could not recall the circumstances of the crash. Mayor Nutter properly dismissed the theory, promoted by the media, than an unidentified flying object such as a rock may have caused the crash.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1505/13/cnr.06.html</ref> | | When Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter criticized Bostian, not by name, for the reckless speed, the media and the NTSB lashed back at ... Nutter. The media then published stories from friends of Bostian who praised him. The NTSB claimed that Bostian was "extremely cooperative" with the investigation, even though he asserted that he could not recall the circumstances of the crash. Mayor Nutter properly dismissed the theory, promoted by the media, than an unidentified flying object such as a rock may have caused the crash.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1505/13/cnr.06.html</ref> |
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| − | == Prior Public Statements == | + | == Prior Public Statements about Trains == |
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| | + | Bostian had publicly criticized the government for not installing technology on trains to prevent the same type of crash in which he participated. When asked about the curious fact that Bostian had made such comments, the lead investigator for the NTSB showed no interested in their evidentiary value. |
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| − | Bostian had publicly criticized the government for not installing technology to prevent the same type of crash in which he participated. Bostian had also been a [[homosexual]] activist in support of [[same-sex marriage]], which may explain the media support of him now. Bostian was quoted as saying:<ref>http://themidtowngazette.com/2012/10/campaign-for-marriage-equality-continues-in-new-york/</ref>
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| − | {{cquote|It’s kind of insulting to have to beg people for my right to marry. I feel like we shouldn’t even have to have this fight.}}
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| | Bostian retained an attorney quickly after the crash, and Bostian has not appeared in the media himself to explain the excessive speeding and his role in it. | | Bostian retained an attorney quickly after the crash, and Bostian has not appeared in the media himself to explain the excessive speeding and his role in it. |
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| | == Media Bias == | | == Media Bias == |
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| | As of six days after the massive crash, Wikipedia still lacked a substantive entry for Brandon Bostian. Meanwhile the [[liberal]] ''Daily Beast'' ran a headline claiming "How Congress Caused the Amtrak Crash."<ref>http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/05/15/how-congress-caused-the-amtrak-crash.html</ref> | | As of six days after the massive crash, Wikipedia still lacked a substantive entry for Brandon Bostian. Meanwhile the [[liberal]] ''Daily Beast'' ran a headline claiming "How Congress Caused the Amtrak Crash."<ref>http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/05/15/how-congress-caused-the-amtrak-crash.html</ref> |