A transit employee described as a “rail aficionado” was one of the three people killed on Monday when an Amtrak train in Washington state derailed during its inaugural ride on a new route, leaving more than 70 people injured as investigators search for clues on why the celebratory trip turned deadly.
Zack Willhoite, a Pierce Transit employee, was killed on Monday when Amtrak train 501, carrying 85 passengers and crew members, derailed off an overpass and onto Interstate 5 just around 7:40 a.m. after pulling out of the new Tacoma station, Chris Karnes, chair of Pierce transit’s Advisory Board, tweeted on Tuesday. The transit agency also confirmed the death.
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