Ex-safety chief pleads innocence in Spain train crash case

MADRID (AP) — The former head of safety for Spain’s state-owned rail infrastructure company has told a court that he was not responsible for the 2013 train crash that killed 80 passengers. Andrés Cortabitarte and the train’s driver are both facing four-year prison terms if found guilty of professional negligence. Spanish news agency Efe reported Thursday that Cortabitarte told the court that it was not his job to evaluate the risks of the track where the tragedy took place. The derailment happened when the train was traveling 179 kph (111 mph) on a stretch with an 80 kph (50 mph) speed limit while arriving to the northwest city of Santiago de Compostela.