THE widow of the man driving the train which derailed in Aberdeenshire last week has criticised the BBC for their reporting of the crash.

The train had been running the 06:38 service from Aberdeen to Glasgow when it hit a landslip and came off the tracks.

Three people were killed: the driver Brett McCollough, conductor Donald Dinnie, and a passenger named Christopher Stuchbury.

It was widely reported that the train had reached a speed of 72.8mph before the crash, which the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said is within the 75mph limit for that stretch of track.

McCullough’s widow, Stephanie, took to Facebook yesterday to decry the reporting of the incident by “various news channels”, which she said was “implying my lovely husband was at fault”, despite him doing “everything by the book”.

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She said the train’s “black box” had recorded the run-up to the incident and proved he “did everything he was told to do”.

She later added her husband was being made a “scapegoat”.

The BBC then ran an article on her Facebook post.

The article stated: “Describing conditions at the time of the crash, the RAIB said there had been thunderstorms in the area, with 52mm (2in) of rain falling within the space of four hours.

“This is about 70% of the total monthly rainfall which could be expected in Aberdeenshire in August.”

Now, McCullough has hit out at the BBC for “missing out the FACT that the thunder storm had actually passed by that point and the sun was out”.

McCullough had stated in her original post, which the BBC quoted at length, that: “At this point in time the storm had passed and the sun was shining.”

The BBC did not include that line of her post.

McCullough went on: “We know Brett saw the landslide because the emergency brakes were applied.

“Many people don’t know that you can’t just stop a train! When the brakes are applied it could take up to a mile to stop a train, it’s not instant like a car.

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“I can’t stand people implying that my beautiful kind husband was to blame. He did everything he was told to do. I can assure you Brett loved his job and did everything by the book.

“Unfortunately coming round that corner there was nothing he could have done.

“Please don’t assume things if you don’t know how the railway works as it’s very different from driving a car.

“It’s extremely hurtful to think people are judging Brett when they have absolutely no idea what they are talking about.

“Nobody should go to work and not come home. I have three heartbroken children here who Brett adored. His family was his world and he cared so much about people.”