New Jersey Transit operator died in an accident In its preliminary report published on Thursday, November 7, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced that an attempt was made to stop the train before it hit a tree on the tracks in October.

At approximately 6 a.m. on Oct. 14, Jessica Haley, an employee of Alstom Transport, NJ Transit’s contractor, was operating southbound NJ Transit light rail vehicle 207. There were 41 passengers on the train from Trenton to Camden. The ship consisted of two articulated carriages, the NTSB said.

The NTSB said the train was traveling at 64 mph around a curve in a wooded area when it struck a tree that fell onto the tracks at milepost 24.53 near Florence Township in Burlington County, New Jersey.

According to the NTSB, Haley activated the track brakes and emergency brakes, causing the train to slow about 400 feet before hitting the tree. A branch of the tree then broke the taxi’s windshield and hit Haley, killing her, the NTSB said.

The train then stopped approximately 880 feet from the point of impact. Authorities said 23 passengers were injured and taken to a nearby hospital, where they were treated and released.

Visibility was dark at the time of the crash and the only light came from the train’s headlights, the NTSB said. They also said it was 60 degrees Fahrenheit at the time and there was no precipitation.

NTSB officials inspected the train at the crash site and examined the tracks. They also examined NJ Transit operating procedures, conducted visibility observations, secured the train’s event recorder for data acquisition, reviewed video footage from the outside-facing camera of another train approaching the area shortly after the crash, and conducted interviews.

The NTSB said its future investigations will focus on NJ Transit’s right-of-way maintenance and inspection practices, dispatcher reporting procedures and the “crashworthiness” of the train design.

A day after the fatal crash, Haley’s family announced they planned to sue NJ Transit, state officials and others.

“His family openly alleges that New Jersey Transit and other relevant agencies, such as the state and county, failed to protect the passengers and conductor on the train by failing to clear the train tracks of trees or other debris. The family’s attorney, Kila Baldwin, said he could have been hit by the train traveling at 60 mph.” NBC10’s Karen Hua.

Haley was the mother of three boys, ages 13, 8 and 6, and hailed from Levittown, Pennsylvania, according to family members.

Haley’s lawyer said in a statement regarding the ongoing lawsuit that the dead train operator’s sister, Rebecca, who also worked for Alstom Transportation, claimed conductors on River Line trains had “complained for years” about concerns about trees on the tracks.

“Jessica Haley’s two sisters, including Rebecca Haley, who would become the administrator of Jessica’s estate, worked as train conductors on the New Jersey River Line for Alstom, which also contracts with New Jersey Transit,” Baldwin said. “Rebecca Haley reported that trees on this section of the New Jersey River Line have been a problem for years, and other trains have been hit by fallen trees in recent years. Train conductors have complained for years that something needs to be done and even suggested building a rail car from the southbound route where Jessica was killed.” Moving downstream, at one point dangerous trees were marked with There was no protection.”

The documents do not specify the total amount the family is seeking in compensation following Haley’s death, but do note that “the amount of pain and suffering cannot be determined at this time.”

Both New Jersey Transit and Alstom Transportation told NBC10 they would not comment on pending litigation. Alstom Transportation shared a statement about X on the day Haley died.

“Alstom is devastated to confirm that an employee who was a train operator on the River LINE light rail system in New Jersey was killed when the light rail system struck a tree on the tracks this morning,” the company wrote online. “Our prayers are with their families and our thoughts are with the passengers injured in this tragic accident. We offer additional support to all of our employees working for River LINE during this difficult time.”

Our prayers are with their families and our thoughts are with the passengers injured in this tragic accident. We are offering additional support to all our employees working at River LINE during this difficult time.

— Alstom USA (@AlstomUSA) 14 October 2024