A German train conductor who was controlling two trains when they collided and killed 11 people was distracted by a game he was playing on his mobile phone shortly before the crash, prosecutors have claimed.
The conductor, who has not been named, was arrested on suspicion of negligent homicide following the incident.
The two trains met in a head-on collision on a single-track line in February while travelling at 60 mph. Both were full of commuters and 85 passengers suffered injuries in addition to the 11 deaths. The crash was one of the worst in Germany’s history.
In a statement, prosecutors said that prior to the incident the conductor had been playing the game on his mobile phone for “an extended period of time” and continued to do so until shortly before the crash.
They said: “Due to the close timing it must be assumed that the accused was distracted from controlling the cross-traffic of the trains.” They added that the man has admitted playing a game on his phone but denied that he was distracted by it or that it had influenced the collision.
Conduct rules for German railway staff forbid the use of personal phones during work.
With additional reporting by AP
