DUPONT, Wash. (AP) — Authorities have identified the third man killed in the deadly Amtrak derailment in Washington state and say he was under federal supervision for a child pornography conviction.
The Pierce County coroner’s office said Wednesday that 40-year-old Benjamin Gran, of Auburn, Washington, died of multiple traumatic injuries in the train accident.
Federal officials say they were notified of Gran’s death. Officials say Gran had been ordered to a lifetime of supervised release following a felony conviction for child pornography. He served two years in prison and was released in 2015.
The other 2 victims were identified Tuesday as 35-year-old Zack Willhoite and 61-year-old Jim Hamre — both of whom were rail enthusiasts and knowledgeable about the technical aspects of trains.
“It’s pretty devastating. We’re having a tough time,” said Lloyd Flem, executive director of rail advocacy organization All Aboard Washington.
Willhoite and Hamre were active in such groups. In All Aboard Washington, Willhoite served as director of information technology, and Hamre was vice president and newsletter editor since 1988, writing enthusiastically in a recent online post about the new route that travels along refurbished freight tracks.
“They were looking forward to it, of course. They were having the opportunity for the first official run, of a brand new route,” Flem said.