Source: Worker in crash admits to blackout

SAN FRANCISCO, July 20 (UPI) -- A source close to the investigation into a San Francisco train crash says the train operator in the crash confessed to blacking out prior to the incident.

The anonymous source said the driver of the L-Taraval train informed investigators he had lost consciousness moments before his train hit a K-Ingleside train at West Portal Station, the San Francisco Chronicle said Monday.

The source said a witness saw the driver, whose identity was not released, slumped over the controls of his San Francisco Municipality Railway train prior to Saturday's crash.

Nearly 50 people were hurt in the crash, leading to an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Investigators have determined that prior to the weekend collision, the L-Taraval train had been traveling nearly double the normal speed for the railway route.

The Chronicle said the investigation into the crash is expected to be completed in up to 18 months as officials attempt to determine if the incident was the result of a mechanical malfunction or an incident involving the train operator.