NJ Transit operator killed in crash tried to stop train, NTSB says
The New Jersey Transit operator who was killed in a crash in October tried to stop the train before it struck a tree on the tracks, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed in a preliminary report on Thursday, Nov. 7.
On Oct. 14, around 6 a.m., Jessica Haley, an employee with Alstom Transportation, the contractor for NJ Transit, was operating the southbound NJ Transit light rail vehicle 207. The train – which was traveling from Trenton to Camden - had 41 passengers on board and was composed of two articulated railcars, the NTSB said.
The train was moving at 64 mph through a curve in a wooded area when it struck a tree that had fallen across the tracks at milepost 24.53 near Florence Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, the NTSB said.
Haley had activated the track brakes and the emergency brakes, causing the train to decelerate for about 430 feet before striking the tree, according to the NTSB. A branch of the tree then broke through the forward windshield of the cab and struck Haley, killing her, the NTSB said.
The train then came to a stop about 880 feet past the point of impact. Officials said 23 passengers were injured and taken to a nearby hospital where they were treated and released.
The NTSB said visibility was dark at the time of the crash with the only light coming from the train's headlights. They also said the weather was 60 degrees Fahrenheit at the time with no precipitation.
