REUTERS/Oscar Corral
"I’ve derailed," Francisco Jose Garzon frantically told the Alvia Trains control room, according to transcripts of conversations in the aftermath. "What do I do? What am I supposed to do?"
He then reportedly told rescuers: "I f----d up. I want to die."
The 52-year-old has been detained by police after Wednesday's accident.
The Metro reports that Garzon previously boasted on his Facebook page about reaching speeds of more than 125 mph (200k mph) in the past.
He allegedly posted an image of a speedometer with the caption: "What joy it would be to get level with the police and then go past them making their speed guns go off. Ha ha!"
El Mundo reported the train, traveling from Madrid to Ferrol, may have approached speeds of up to 118 mph (190 km/h) — the limit is 50 mph (80 km/h) at the curve approaching the station at Santiago.
REUTERS/Oscar Corral
El Mundo notes that police have not begun listening to the train's two black boxes, contrary to reports.