NTSB: NJ Transit train operator tried to stop train before it struck fallen tree
Jessica Haley, 41, was killed on Oct. 14 when her train struck a fallen tree.
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The National Transportation Safety Board says that a New Jersey Transit train operator who was killed last month in a crash tried to stop the train before it struck a fallen tree.
The NTSB says 41-year-old Jessica Haley was traveling through a wooded area of the River Line from Trenton to Camden when she spotted a fallen tree.
The agency says she activated the track brakes, as well as the emergency brakes, causing the train to slow down for about 400 feet before hitting the tree.
The NTSB says a branch went through the front windshield of the train, killing Haley. Twenty-three other people were injured.
RELATED: NJ Transit train operator killed by tree identified as single mother of 3 boys
The train stopped more than 800 feet past the point of impact, according to the NTSB.
The crash happened on Oct. 14 around 6 a.m. while it was still dark outside. The train’s headlights were the only source of light, according to the NTSB.
Haley’s family attorney says her death could have been avoided if NJ Transit had not failed to keep the tracks clear.
Haley was a single mother of three boys.
