A Nebraska boy was arrested earlier this month over the April 21 derailment of a train in Bennet, authorities said.
Investigators determined the 17-year-old caused two locomotives and five loaded coal trains to veer off tracks as he recorded the ordeal with a 4k digital camera.
The train operator told investigators he was traveling eastbound when he noticed that a switch was misaligned at a crossing.
He tried to make an emergency stop before crashing into an empty coal car parked at the siding.
Detectives determined the switch had been tampered with when the teen showed up at the scene, providing them with footage of the crash.
The boy suspiciously suggested the “switch was flipped the wrong way” as detectives discussed a possible cause.
He later posted a video showing the scene before, during, and after the derailment to his YouTube account.
Authorities did not identify the juvenile who faces charges of criminal mischief over $5,000.
