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tv   America This Morning  ABC  May 14, 2015 4:00am-4:31am PDT

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making news in america this morning -- deadly derailment. new surveillance video showing the amtrak train moments before the crash, traveling over 100 miles an hour. the investigation now turning to the engineer. as another name now added to the list of victims overnight. plus, the passenger still missing at this hour. pit stop. a flag-draped coffin in the back of a hearse. the vehicle stopped in a parking lot. the coffee shop stop going viral. brazen burglary. a group of thieves uses an suv to smash into a luxury store. and they make off with a big score. and scary crash. an indycar hits a wall, goes airborne, flips upside down. how the driver walked away.
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good thursday morning. i'm marci gonzalez, reena ninan is on assignment. >> hello to you all. i'm t.j. holmes. we begin with the speed factor in that amtrak tragedy. surveillance video we're showing you now, capturing the train zooming down the tracks in philadelphia. investigators say it was going more than 100 miles an hour, that is double the speed limit when it hit a sharp curve. >> at least seven people are confirmed dead. and five have been identified. most of them were heading home to their families. >> this is the engineer. who was at the helm. now saying he has no memory of the crash. lana zak starts our coverage. she's live in philadelphia for us. good morning to you, lana. >> reporter: good morning, t.j. good morning, marci. we now know that excessive speed was likely behind the accident here. we know that there was technology that amtrak had that could have prevented excessive
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speed. but at this section of track, it wasn't installed. the pain-staking process of clearing the tracks in philadelphia is under way. training lifting and carrying the toppled amtrak train cars. this morning, just two remain. the most heavily damaged. as crews work, we're learning more about what happened and the people involved, including the engineer, identified as 32-year-old brandon bostian of queens, new york. >> he remembers going through that area generally. has absolutely no recollection of the incident or anything unusual. >> reporter: his lawyer told abc news bostian suffered injuries. 14 staples in his head and stitches in his leg. he said bostian spoke to police while he was in the hospital and submitted a blood sample. >> he was pretty beat up. what he looked was xasted. exhausted. >> reporter: the ntsb recovered the event recorder. preliminary information shows the train was going 106 miles an
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hour seconds before derailing. the speed limit on the curve is just 50 miles an hour. bostian put on the brakes. it was too late. >> in the next three seconds, three or four seconds, the speed of the train had only decreased to 102. >> reporter: at least seven people are confirmed dead. some families are still searching for their loved ones. >> his life may have been snuffed out. and my grandchildren are broken-hearted. and i'm cried out. >> reporter: and there are still many people that are missing or in critical condition right now. so that death toll may, in fact, rise beyond the seven people. five have been publicly identified. t.j. and marci, as we were coming in here this morning, we could see that the search area has expanded. we now know that they're using teams of dogs to see if anybody was thrown from the train. >> there's so many questions. a lot of information coming in. what else are we learning about the engineer? >> reporter: well, now we're starting to learn much more about him. we know that he came to work for amtrak in 2006.
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friends describe him as a funny guy who had a real love of trains. >> this is the busiest rail line in the country. how is service going to be affected? >> reporter: well, yes, it is absolutely the busiest rail line in the country. for more than a day now, travelers have had all their plans snarled by this. we know that they're going to have some limited service in the northeast corridor today. they're hoping to have that back up and running. but with the ongoing investigation, it will be a lengthy process. marci? t.j.? >> thank you so much. more on those who lost their lives during what was supposed to be a routine train ride. >> husbands, dads, wives, a mom. a bright young college student who dreamed of becoming a navy s.e.a.l. we get more now from abc's david wright. >> reporter: their stories are heart-wrenching. among them, justin zemser. two months past his 20th birthday. his mom's pride and joy. >> he was his high school
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valedictorian and was just finishing up his second year as midshipman at the united states naval academy. >> reporter: he played football for navy, wide receiver. and was headed home to rockaway beach at the end of the school year. his journey home ended here. 39-year-old rachel jacobs texted her husband at 8:45 saying she had just caught the train. it was the last message he'll ever get from her. she was ceo of a philadelphia tech startup. commuting from her home in new york. 49-year-old jim gaines worked for the associated press doing digital video. voted a.p.'s geek of the month. survived by his wife and two teenage children. wells fargo bank confirmed one of its senior vice presidents, abid gilani, is also among the dead. >> he was a kind family man. we have suffered a tremendous loss today. he'll be sorely missed. and, he was -- really a wonderful person.
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>> well, the latest victim to be identified is that man, a 42-year-old educator, dr. derrick griffith. he was a dean at medgar evers college in brooklyn. he was traveling from d.c. when the train derailed. he recently defended his dissertation in urban education and was scheduled to graduate in two weeks. we're hearing more and more incredible stories of survival. >> josh gotbaum says he used a pile of seats to climb out. and others were able to use his makeshift ladder so they could also escape. he says he was caught next to an unresponsive woman, though. >> not everybody could we get to. there was -- a woman seated i think in the row behind me. but i don't know exactly for sure. but -- she was pinned under -- a bunch of seats. and, we -- basically couldn't get her out. there was no reaction. heard no voice et cetera. and since we thought there was a fire coming in, we got out. i don't -- i think she was
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crushed. >> gotbaum says he injured his head and ribs in the crash. a few miles from the crash site, the philadelphia phillies paid tribute observing a moment of silence for those who lost their lives on tuesday night in that crash. and just hours after the tragedy unfolded in philadelphia, something else happened in washington, d.c. this was in congress. the republican-controlled house voted to approve deep spending cuts to amtrak's budget. >> and effort by democrats to boost the funding went nowhere. the cuts were preliminary. the full house and senate would have to agree to them. you can stay with abc news for the latest on the amtrak crash. much more about the train's engineer coming your way in a bit on "good morning america." explosive new details this morning about the night in march when two veteran secret service agents drove through a crime scene barricade at the white house. an inspector general's report of the embarrassing incident finds that the men were more likely than not impaired by alcohol.
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it found they had spent five hours at a bar after being at a party where free drinks were served. both were placed on leave. one of the agents says he'll retire soon. it comes after a series of gaffes by the secret service. and texas has been swamped with more than ten inches of rain over the last few days, triggering widespread flooding. in houston last night, drivers trying to navigate swamped roads were forced to wade through floodwaters that went up to their thighs. rainfall totals in much of texas are already more than double the norm for may. it's only the 14th. there is no relief in sight. much more rain on tap in texas. and forecasters warn the wet weather could last until monday in some spots. still ahead, new overnight, an original actor on "the simpsons" saying he'll not return to provide the voices for several characters. plus, caught on camera, hammer attack. a man turning the tool on a police officer on a busy city street.
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a smash and grab job, thieves use an suv to crash into a high-end department store in this brazen heist.
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i thought i'd start the video by showing you the apartment building where the fire was. when things like this happen i think you find a new perspective on life. hi. red cross put us in a hotel so we were able to stay together. we're strong and if we overcame that or if we can overcome
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that we can overcome anything, so. [ sniffle ] all right, folks. take a look at this. two funeral home employees stopped for a coffee break. leaving the flag-draped coffin of a deceased veteran in the back of the hearse in the park lot. this happened near tampa, florida. the employees were supposed to be on the way to the man's funeral. images sparked outrage online. the employees have been fired. still no sign of the missing u.s. marines and the helicopter that vanished in nepal on tuesday. but we are learning something now about the pilot.
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he's been identified as captain chris nordgren. identified by his friends and family in wichita, kansas. they describe him as a leader that everyone looked up to. they're confident those leadership skills will help him survive. the end is growing nearer for u.s. airways. the 75-year-old airline is merging with american airlines. american is planning a final 90-day phase-out of u.s. air ways. the final flight could likely be in october. the slow transition will merge them into a single reservation system. and breaking overnight, a shocking change to one of tv's longest running shows. harry shearer tweeting that he'll not be returning to "the simpsons." hard to imagine the show without prince call skinner, otto, many others. he say he is wants to just do other work. the rest of the cast is signed on for seasons 27 and 28. when we come back, courtroom confession.
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a surprising admission from a woman accused of killing her fiance while kayaking. and baby on board. man gets on a train realizing he left something behind in his car. his young daughter. the dramatic 911 call coming up. car. his young daughter. the dramatic 911 call coming up. hold it! come with me. new dannon oikos triple zero is my go to protein snack. cam, protein from yogurt? yup, this greek nonfat yogurt packs 15 grams of protein punch. but what else? unlike some other protein snacks, it has 0 added sugar 0 artificial sweeteners and 0 fat. mmm... will it up my game? no man! new dannon oikos triple zero official yogurt of the nfl. mmm dannon. you wouldn't do half of your daily routine. so why treat your mouth any differently. brushing alone does less than half the job leaving behind millions of germs. complete the job with listerine®. kill up to 99 percent of germs.
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at philadelphia, there's an art to making cream cheese. we always use fresh milk, real cream, and no preservatives. that's why philadelphia cream cheese tastes so rich and creamy. only philadelphia. this morning's ride to work will be slow and slippery for much of the west coast. with a little snow expected in
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the sierra. watch out for continued flooding in texas. plenty of wet roads in the upper midwest. if you're flying, airport delays possible in houston, dallas kansas city, minneapolis, and san francisco. another look at our top story this morning. the focus on speed in the amtrak crash in philadelphia. >> investigators say the engineer was going twice as fast as he should have been. exceeding 100 miles an hour. he now says he has no recollection of the crash. 5 of the 7 people confirmed dead have been identified. a police drama near busy penn station. surveillance video captured the moment that a man with a hammer attacks a police officer. then her partner shoots the man. the suspect in critical but stable condition. he's wanted in a series of other attacks in the city. the police officer was not seriously injured. a woman who is accused of killing her fiance has offered a chilling on fegs according to prosecutors. they say angelika grass wald
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tampered with his kayak. she told them quote, it felt good knowing he would die. she first claimed her fiance disappeared while kayaking on the hudson river. his pod has not been found. a brazen group of thieves here. near stanford university. surveillance cameras catching this. an suv plowed through the front door of a bloomingdale's store. they crashed the car, smashed the cases, took the loot. police found the suv, which was tollen. no sign of the jewel thieves, though. a mortified massachusetts dad is trying to bounce back. from what he says was one of the worst days of his life. he parked in a commuter lot, was on the train heading to work, that's when he realized he had left his sleeping toddler in the backseat of his car. that's when he made this frantic call to 911. >> i left, by accident, my toddler in my suv at north quincy station. >> you left what?
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>> my little baby. >> all right. how far out are you? >> i'm at charles/mgh. i'm on my way back. >> emergency crews found the car with the baby still inside. paramedics said the toddler was just fine. but the dad was so distraught, they were concerned about his well being. police say it was an accident. they do not plan to file charges. before this next story, we have to let you know the guy involved in this is absolutely fine. here's the headline. landscaper hit in the eye with a flying nail. take a look at this. the nail struck the guy after he hit it with a weed whacker. doctors in boston say if it went one millimeter in either direction, he would have suffered major damage. they were able to take the nail out. gave him some medicine. two months later, his vision totally back to normal. >> let's go ahead and get that image off the screen. we turn to sports now.
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the clippers have chance to advance tonight. >> as for last night's playoff excitement, here's our guy at espn. i'm chris hassel from our "sportscenter" set in los angeles. washington, d.c., really, really rough wednesday night for fan bases there. and both both in nhl and nba. let's start with the capitals. game seven against the rangers. alex ovechkin put the caps up, 1-0. second period though. rangers get to tie it at 1-1. kevin hayes. 1-1, we're going to overtime. and the rangers come back from three games to one down to win it in o.t. derek stepan. with the game-winning goal. rangers moving on to the eastern conference finals to take on the lightning. so that's one d.c. team losing in overtime. another d.c. team thought they had a late win. tied at 78-78. wizards-hawks. paul pierce turns it over. a nice two-man game between al horford and demarre carroll.
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hawks up two. pierce gets a little redemption. a three with 8.3 left. pierce starts chirping. game's not over, paul. hawks have a chance. and al horford makes them pay. a rebound putback with 1.9 left. and that was just an awful sports day for washington, d.c., fans. wizards are not done yet. still have a chance. need to win game six and game seven. i'm chris hassel. have a great day. >> we sure will, kind sir, thank you. we got "the pulse" coming your way next. the mom with 12 boys has a new baby. number 13. did she finally get a girl? and going airborne. a wild crash on the racetrack. airborne. a wild crash on the race tack. of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. before you and your rheumatologist decide on a biologic ask if xeljanz is right for you. xeljanz is a small pill, not an injection or infusion for adults with moderate to severe ra
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for whom methotrexate did not work well. xeljanz can relieve ra symptoms and help stop further joint damage. xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers have happened in patients taking xeljanz. don't start xeljanz if you have any infection unless ok with your doctor. tears in the stomach or intestines, low blood cell counts and higher liver tests and cholesterol levels have happened. your doctor should perform blood tests before you start and while taking xeljanz and routinely check certain liver tests. tell your doctor if you have been to a region where fungal infections are common, and if you have had tb hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take. ♪ one pill, twice daily, xeljanz can reduce ra pain and help stop further joint damage even without methotrexate. ask your rheumatologist about xeljanz.
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introducing light & fit protein shakes the new way to help make temptations shrink away. with 12 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and 0% fat. new light & fit protein shakes. taste the power of satisfaction. time for us to now check "the pulse." we start with an update on the
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mom we told you about. she has 12 boys. she was pregnant with baby number 13. >> the baby finally here. due over the weekend. but arrived a few days late. you might recall both parents were hoping for a girl. fingers crossed. >> did they get a girl? >> yeah, they said they would be happy with a boy. >> and they better be. that's what they got. a 13th boy. he weighed in at 9 pounds, 22 inches long. that's a big kid. his 12 older brothers will help pick out his name. congratulations to them. they have a healthy child. that's all that matters. next up, a question answered. what player is on the cover of the new madden nfl video game? >> yes, does anybody want to be on this thing anymore? it's new york giants star receiver odell beckham jr. you may not know the name but you'll remember the catch. flying backwards, three fingers. had plenty of other amazing grabs during his campaign.
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that catch was against the cowboys. >> all right. and there is the cover right there. he is again making a one-handed catch. and hoping to avoid the so-called madden curse. >> yes, that curse, a lot of these guys. michael vick, donovan mcnabb, shawn alexander, richard sherman. all of them end up on the cover and then suffer injuries almost immediately after going on the cover. madden 2016 goes on sale in august. you can preorder now. finally, a scene from the indianapolis motor speedway. drivers getting ready for the upcoming indy 500. it didn't really go so well for this guy. >> three-time indy winner helio castroneves going airborne yesterday after hitting a wall. a spectacular crash. my goodness. thankfully, he was able to get out, walk to an emergency vehicle. >> he was cleared by doctors, no injuries. by the end of the practice session, he was back behind the wheel, once again at 225 miles an hour. >> unreal. >> these vehicles are marvels the way they secure them in that little cockpit, if you will. and he walked away there that, folks. and was back in the car a little
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while later. for some of you, your local news is next. for everybody else, stuck with us. us. join red nose day, a national event to help lift children out of poverty. it's easy: support red nose day at walgreens and start making a difference. it's a good laugh for a good cause. and it all starts at walgreens. at the corner of happy and healthy®. wish your skin could bounce back like it used to? new neutrogena hydro boost water gel. with hyaluronic acid it plumps skin cells with intense hydration and locks it in. for supple, hydrated skin. hydro boost. from neutrogena.
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live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> good thursday morning. thanks for waking up early and joining us at 4:28. >> i am eric thomas. i am christian. >> meteorologist mike nicco will the rain system cover the area? we are asking about the state? >> the entire state will get showers. you run into wet weather on the way to work? >> no. no. ten seconds of light rain. and then it was over. >> live doppler hd shows we are tracking the shower offshore. you can see which way they are going. they are coming right at us. from the southwest. because of that we will see an increase in the wet weather as we head through the morning hours. this is going to be all day event but we will not have rain
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all day. what we are going to get are scattered showers throughout the day and the possibility of thunder. let me breakdown the 12-hour day planner. low-to-mid 50s with scattered showers and slick spots in the morning. we will have more showers by noon. we will throw in thunder in the afternoon and the temperature are in the mid-50s to low 60s. in the evening the showers will taper. >> thank you. leyla how is it looking? >> we have a sig-alert in discovery bay. this is around discovery bay boulevard in the ear direction involving a big rib and minor injuries and as we look at the bay bridge toll plaza the traffic is moving nicely as you make the commute from the east to san francisco. you can move over to the golden gate bridge and that is the site of big construction at the end of the month. doyle drive, of court, is what i am talking about causing major traffic impact.
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they keep warning us about that. >> warriors will fly to memphis to capture the spin finals after an impressive win last night at home in game five. matt keller is in san jose with signs of warriors fever everywhere. matt? >> we are at sports fever in campbell and ticket t-shirts, any t shifts, warriors gear is as hot as the warriors have layed at home all season. last night was no different at oracle arena in oakland. steph curry is hot at the end of the first quarter with burying a three in the closing seconds, the 100th lay off. barnes had another great game with three, three pointer. and andrew mad a couple of huge stunts, with warriors by 11 and they ran away with it 20-point win, 98-78 for t

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