Teenager allegedly derailed train and recorded it for his YouTube channel
BENNET, Neb. (WKRC) - A teenager has been charged with criminal mischief after he allegedly intentionally derailed a train and filmed it before uploading it to YouTube.
The video "
" on Capitol City Rail Productions' YouTube channel has over half a million views and a dark story possibly hiding behind it.
Two locomotives and five railcars jumped rails on April 21, causing a collision with an empty coal car that suffered $350,000 in damages.
Luckily for the responding officers, a nearby witness had recorded the entire event.
According to court documents, an unnamed 17-year-old notified authorities about the derailment and approached them on the scene, inquiring about what could have caused the derailment. An investigator said it was undetermined, but the teenager immediately noted that "obviously a switch was flipped the wrong way," according to court records.
At that point, the teenager identified himself as a train enthusiast and showed the filmed derailment to the officers.
The 17-year-old claims he did not cause the derailment, but authorities say he knew exactly where the switch was and how to operate it. Additionally, investigators apparently found that a tripod had been set up near the derailment site mere minutes before the crash
But the investigators are treating the YouTube video as the real smoking gun.
According to court documents, an investigator said, "In the days following the derailment, a video of the derailment was posted to YouTube account ZUnit06, which is believed be associated with [the boy]. This account features numerous videos of trains filmed in Bennet, NE and other locations in Lancaster County, NE."
Notably, the video uploaded on ZUnit06's account was only uploaded on July 27, whereas the video on Capitol City Rail Productions was uploaded on April 23.