NTSB: Train Engineer Sent Text Before Crash

CHATSWORTH, Calif. -- Federal investigators said the engineer of a Metrolink commuter train sent a text message 22 seconds before the collision with a freight train in Los Angeles last month that killed 25 people and injured dozens of others, KNBC reported.

The National Transportation Safety Board issued a statement Wednesday with detailed cell phone information indicating that the Metrolink engineer sent and received multiple e-mails in the moments leading up to the accident.

The information regarding the Metrolink engineer's cell phone activity came from his service provider.

"On the day of the accident, the Metrolink engineer (Robert Sanchez) was on duty for two periods of time. The engineer was responsible for the operation of a train from 6:44 am until 8:53 a.m. During this period of time, the engineer's cell phone received 21 text messages and sent 24 text messages," according to an NTSB news release.

"(Sanchez) was then off duty until 2 pm. The engineer was responsible for the operation of Metrolink train 111 from 3:03 p.m until the time of the accident. During this time period, the engineer's cell phone received 7 text messages and sent 5 text messages," the release stated.

According to the time on the cell phone provider's records and the time on a freight train recorder:

4:21:03 PM: Last text message received by the engineer's phone before the accident

4:22:01 PM: Last text message sent from the engineer's cell phone

4:22:23 PM: Time of the accident, according to the Union Pacific train's onboard recorders