NTSB: New Details On Rail Crash That Killed Levittown Mom

A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) preliminary report has concluded that a fallen tree on the tracks led to the crash on the New Jersey Transit Riverline train last month that killed a mother from Levittown.

The crash happened at approximately 6:02 a.m. on October 14 when 41-year-old Jessica Haley, a seasoned train operator from Levittown and mother of three, was driving southbound light rail vehicle (LRV) 207 near milepost 24.53 in Burlington County.

The train was traveling from Trenton to Camden through a wooded curve when it struck a tree, which had fallen across the tracks, according to the NTSB.

According to the NTSB, Haley activated the track and emergency brakes, slowing the train over a distance of 430 feet before colliding with the tree.

The impact caused a branch to penetrate the train’s forward windshield and fatally injure Haley, the NTSB found.

The train came to a halt 880 feet past the point of impact, investigators found.

At the time of the crash, the area was dark and illuminated only by the train’s headlights.

The Riverline train was carrying 41 passengers and 23 of them were injured and later treated at a nearby hospital, the NTSB said.

The NTSB has taken several steps in its investigation, including inspecting the damaged LRV, examining the track, reviewing New Jersey Transit’s operating procedures, conducting sight distance tests, retrieving data from the train’s event recorder, reviewing video footage, and interviewing involved parties.

Future aspects of the investigation will focus on New Jersey Transit’s maintenance and inspection practices for the right-of-way, dispatcher reporting procedures, and the design and crashworthiness of the LRV, the NTSB said.

The train is operated by Alstom, a contractor for New Jersey Transit on the River Line.

Haley had been employed by Alstom for 20 years.

Following the crash, Kila Baldwin, the attorney representing Haley’s family, announced plans to file a lawsuit against Alstom, New Jersey Transit, Burlington County, and additional parties.

The NTSB has stated that the investigation is ongoing, and further details will be released as they become available.

Advertisement