Broken tree branch crashing through windshield killed train driver, investigation says

The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report report on the light rail train crash on the River Line which killed the operator and injured 23 people. While the new report provides more detail about what authorities believe happened, there is no definitive assessment of the causes and contributing factors.

The accident occurred at 6:04 a.m., Monday, October 14, when the Camden-bound River Line train with 41 people on board struck a log on the tracks near Florence. The trains are operated by Alstom Transportation Inc., a contractor hired by NJ Transit.

The report, published on the NTSB websitesaid the investigation is continuing and will look at the crashworthiness of the light rail train design and NJ Transit’s right-of-way maintenance and inspection practices.