Engineer Apparently Sent Text Message Before Crash. At Least 25 People Now Confirmed Dead

CHATSWORTH, Calif. (CBS) ― Metrolink officials Saturday put the blame squarely on the engineer of the train for the deadly crash that has claimed at least 25 lives. They say he ran a red light.

But a group of local teens, train enthusiasts, who know the engineer well doubt that he was to blame.

They called their friend professional and caring and said he helped them learn about trains and being an engineer. To a man, they said he would "never" have been reckless or unprofessional or run a red light.

But one minute before the deadliest crash in Metrolink history, one teen -- Nick Williams -- said he received a text message on his cell phone from the engineer, whom the teens identified as Robert Sanchez.

Williams' received text was brief, "Just two lines", reported KCAL 9 and CBS 2 reporter Kristine Lazar, exclusively.

The text apparently told Williams and his friends where Sanchez would be meeting another passenger train.

The teens posted a tribute to their friend on YouTube. (Removed)

A Metrolink spokeswoman earlier stated that the train's engineer, who has not officially been named, ran a red signal.

Another one of the teens, Evan Morrison, told Lazar that Sanchez " was not the kind of guy who would run a red light."

None of them believe he was at fault.

Saturday, Sanchez's teen friends all went to the crash site. Mark Speer, choking back tears said, "this is absolutely devastating."

Denise Tyrell, a spokesperson for Metrolink commented on the report that Sanchez might have been texting immediately before the crash.

She said, "I can't believe someone could be texting while driving a train."