Good Samaritan helps Amtrak derailment victims; has car towed from scene

A good Samaritan who was driving south on Interstate 5 found himself less than 100 feet from the spot where Amtrak Cascades Train 501 derailed Monday morning, killing three people and injuring at least 70 others.

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"(The train) was going pretty fast (and) I'm thinking, 'What's going on?'" Trevor Kuvli told KIRO 7's Joanna Small. "Maybe two minutes later, I see sparks flying and (the train) is going off the track."

As Kuvli was helping victims of the derailment, he said he was asked by officials to move his 2009 Toyota Corolla. Before he was able to do so, officials towed his car. Kuvli said he also lost the keyless entry remote for his Corolla.

He said that at the time, he was focused on helping the victims. He helped a driver who was hit by a train car.

“She was hurt and I told her to just stay calm,” he said. “Somebody else came over and I went to help other people that needed it.”

Kuvli told KIRO 7 on Tuesday he was able to get his car back, but not before paying $500 to replace his keyless entry remote.

Kuvli said he wasn’t authorized to use his insurance to pay for his replacement keyless entry. A GoFundMe page has not been set up for Kuvli.

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