- The driver reportedly dozed off just before entering the Sunset Tunnel.
- Onboard footage shows the train reaching 50 mph before a sharp turn.
- Luckily, the train didn’t derail and no one was hurt in the close call.
We’ve all been there. That creeping wave of drowsiness that hits mid-shift, when your eyelids start to feel heavier than reason itself. Most of us reach for coffee or stretch it out, but one San Francisco light-rail operator wasn’t so lucky.
Watch: Driver Ignores Icy Windshield And Crashes Into Train
In September, the operator of a light-rail train in San Francisco appeared to have been overcome by sleepiness and briefly dozed off while traveling through a tunnel, an incident serious enough to trigger a state investigation.
What Happened
Recently released footage of the incident shows the female train driver appearing to nod off while the train sat at a stop along the N Judah Muni Metro light rail line. Moments later, she rouses herself and gradually steers the train into the Sunset Tunnel.
As the train moves into the tunnel, cockpit footage shows the driver leaning back and seemingly closing her eyes even as the train continues to accelerate. By the time it reaches the tunnel’s end, speed climbs to 50 mph (80 km/h), the train slicing through a right-hand curve without derailing by sheer luck.
Passengers were thrown across the cabins as the driver was suddenly awoken from her slumber and speared through the stop at Duboce Ave. and Noe Street.
After the close call, the driver told passengers she couldn’t get the train to stop, adding that the emergency brake didn’t work.
However, shortly after the incident, a preliminary investigation concluded there were no issues with the train and that the near-crash was triggered by “operator fatigue.”
Fortunately, no one on board was injured. The train’s operator says that it will strengthen training on watching for signs of fatigue to avoid similar incidents like this in the future.
Additionally, it said it plans to work with manufacturers or software companies that may be able to limit a train’s speed in certain locations.
“Safety is always our top priority,” San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency director Julie Kirschbaum told KQED. “We are committed to accountability in response to this specific unacceptable incident and we are taking all necessary steps to keep Muni safe and reliable for all riders and the public.”
