Page 42 - Rockefeller News Today

Engineer in the metro north train crash was sleepy. >> what he will tell everybody today is that he basically nodded -- you nod out and you catch yourself. i think weve all done that. >> reporter: william rockefeller was only a few hours into his shift when the train crashed. rockefeller has ten years experience and told investigators he was in a daze, a feeling described by other experienced train engineers. >> we just kind of zone out. >> reporter: david wrangle runs the nations premiere railr...

Nbcs tom costello has more. >> a train wreck, five cars on its side. >> reporter: as they released recordings of the transmission, engineer william rockefeller was described by his union as distraught. after years of working on the evening shifts, we started with a new start time at 5:00 a.m. moments after the accident, he told police he zoned out. a friend and co-worker says rockefeller has always been dedicated to safety. >> i dont know how hes coping with the fact that he may have been spinl ...

Union representative in nics report earlier? tonight who said, that mr. rockefeller, the engineer, it looks as though he has come forward and accepted responsibility and accepted blame and been honest about this. obviously you went through was horrific and those who lost loved ones, i cant even imagine theyre going through. is there something there about somebody saying, i spaced out. this was my fault. >> too many lives at stake. too many lives affected. i was at a dental convention today and p...

Continued interviewing the members of the crew today including the engineer whose interview is currently underway. >> in the minutes after the derailment according to a source, rockefeller told first responders, going along and im in a daze. i dont know what happened. the ntsb says the ten-year veteran drivers hours were routine. >> up he was on the second day of a five-day shift that he had started at 5:00 a.m. in the morning. what time did he finish the shift prior to that? >> i dont know the ...

Himself too late. >> hes extremely distraught over it and he feels for the families. >> reporter: in the minutes after the derailment according to a senior law enforcement source, rockefeller told first responders, going along and im in a daze, i dont know what happened. ntsb investigators say that tenured veteran driver was on the second day of a five day shift. >> the day was typical nine hour day. and these days were routine days. there was every indication that he would have had time to get ...

Laura ingle joins us with the latest. laura? >> reporter: the engineer who told the head of his union he zoned out, just before the accident, reportedly working from the night shift to working early shift but had plenty of time to get sleep the night before sundays deadly derailment. according to the union chief. according to published reports initially engineer william rockefeller told people that first came on the scene that the brakes failed as the it barreled into tight turn going three time...

Funny about john. we did? show it. dont need me. the grinch of politics, john avlon. >> love it. >> bring better news in politics. >> i see you with the little doggy. he wants to do the right thing. >> john has potential. >> max. >> let me save you, john avlon. ill go to the headlines. >> god bless you. >> lets take a look at the latest news right now at 6:30, 0 minutes after the hour in the east. the engineer in sundays deadly train crash apparently started to drift off before the accident. wil...

Representative saying he was nodding off and caught himself too late. >> hes extremely distraught over it and he feels for the families. >> reporter: in the minutes after the derailment, according to a senior law enforcement source, rockefeller told first responders, going along and im in a days, i dont know what happened. ntsb investigators say that ten-year veteran driver was on the second day of a five-day shift. >> the day was a typical nine-hour day. these days were routine days. theres eve...

Ago. >> so my sleep schedule is thrown off. i have a hard time forcing myself to get to sleep. >> reporter: but rockefellers attorney admitted he slept seven hours and was only on the second day of his schedule. federal regulations mandate engineers cannot work more than 12 hours. they must get a minimum 8 hours off between runs. engineers are usually alone on their routes, but some say companies should put a co-pilot in the cab of passenger trains. >> someone to help keep the other engineer ale...

It takes strong man to come down and be honest. thats what billy is doing. >> on the question of the brakes, rockefeller had claimed they didnt work at the time of crash. >> weve determined that the metro north mechanical department performed a proper brake test prior to the accident train leaving the station. and there were no anomalies noted. based on these data, there is no indication the brake systems were not functioning properly. >> the facts, 82 miles per hour on a 30-mile-per-hour curve....