DUPONT, Washington: Daniel Konzelman was one of thousands of commuters driving along a highway outside Seattle on Monday morning when his emergency response training was needed.
He and a friend pulled over after an Amtrak passenger train hurtled off an overpass and crashed into vehicles on Interstate 5 below, killing at least three people and injuring dozens of others, authorities said.
A US official who was briefed on the investigation said earlier that at least six people were killed. The difference in the numbers could not immediately be explained. The official was not authorised to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Konzelman and his friend rushed to help, running along the tracks and over the bridge to get to the scene.
Some train cars had their roofs ripped off or were turned upside down. Others were turned sideways on the bridge. Konzelman, 24, and his friend climbed into train cars to look for victims.
“I just wanted to help people because I would want people to help me,” he said.
The scene was grisly, with some people pinned under the train and others who appeared to be dead. If people could move and seemed stable, Konzelman said he helped them climb out of the train. If they looked seriously hurt, he tried to offer comfort by talking to them to calm them down.
They stayed to help for nearly two hours.
“I wasn't scared. I knew what to expect. ... I prepared for the worst and hoped for the best. I saw a little bit of both,” Konzelman said.
The train was making its first-ever run along a faster new route between Portland, Oregon, and Seattle. Seventy-seven passengers and seven crew members were on board.
