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.

An attorney for the family of train driver Jessica Haley announced they plan to sue NJ Transit for failing to tackle the ongoing problem of fallen trees on the railway. A mother of three, Haley, 41, of Levittown, Pennsylvania, was identified by attorney Kila Baldwin of Anapol Weiss, who is representing the family.

Haley’s sister, Rebecca Haley, worked for Alstom and said train drivers had complained for years about the dangers of fallen trees, but Baldwin said almost nothing was done.

Other River Line trains had also struck fallen trees in recent years, Rebecca Haley told the law firm.

Trees along the line that were considered dangerous were marked with a painted “X” but were not removed, the law firm said.

“So far, we know that there was a tree on the tracks prior to this particular accident,” said Keith Holloway, a spokesman for the NTSB. “As more information becomes available, the significance of this matter as part of the investigation will be determined.”

According to the report, the train was traveling at 60 mph, slower than the 60 mph speed limit, when it came around a bend.

Operator Haley saw the fallen tree and activated the emergency brakes. The slowing train traveled 450 feet before hitting the tree and traveled another 800 feet before stopping. A tree branch broke through the train’s windshield and fatally struck Haley, the NTSB said.

Investigators secured the train’s event recorder to download data and review video recordings from the outward-facing camera of another light rail train that approached the accident scene shortly after the collision, the report said. Interviews were conducted and NJ Transit operating procedures were reviewed, in addition to investigating the crash site.

“NTSB investigations can take up to 24 months to complete,” Holloway said.

In the case of the September 29, 2016 Train crash at Hoboken Terminal that killed a pedestrian and injured 100 passengers, the NTSB board issued a ruling on the cause and recommendations to NJ Transit and the Federal Railroad Administration on February 6, 2018, one year and five months after the crash.

“It is too early in the investigation to know if there will be safety recommendations and/or a board meeting,” Holloway said. “NTSB does not hold board meetings for every investigation.”

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Larry Higgs can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X @CommutingLarry.