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12/15/2025
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a recently released report that an Oct. 14, 2024, fatal accident involving a New Jersey Transit light-rail train was caused by predawn low-light conditions that resulted in the train hitting a fallen tree on the track.
The accident occurred when an Alstom employee operating the NJ Transit train was fatally injured after the train struck a tree that had fallen across the tracks of the River Line near Florence, New Jersey. During the collision, a tree branch penetrated the lead rail car’s forward windshield and struck the operator. Twenty-three passengers were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries, according to the NTSB's report.
Following the investigation, the NTSB concluded that the low light conditions at that time of day prevented the operator from seeing the tree in time to stop the train. The investigation identified four cases of trains striking downed trees before this accident, the report states.
"These collisions were minor but indicated the presence of a risk that, on Oct. 14, 2024, led to a fatal collision. This accident underscores the importance of incorporating all measurable hazards into system safety programs," NTSB officials said in the report.
In response to the accident, Alstom and NJ Transit completed a corrective action plan to remove tree hazards along the River Line. The New Jersey Department of Transportation, as the state safety oversight agency, will continue to monitor efforts to identify and remediate hazards along the River Line.