D.C. Train Wreck Investigation Focusing on Possible Computer Malfunction

An on-board computer system designed to automatically stop trains and avoid collisions may have malfunctioned and caused this week’s deadly Metro commuter transit tragedy in Washington, D.C., officials said.

The June 22 accident on the Metro’s Red Line killed nine people and injured at least 70 commuters. A fast-moving train failed to stop and rear-ended another train, which was stopped on the same tracks waiting for a third train to move out of the way. It was the deadliest wreck in the 30-year history of the area’s Metro system.

An on-board computer is supposed to keep trains at least 1,200 feet apart at all times, investigators said. During the investigation into a possible malfunction in the on-board computer, all Metro trains reportedly are now being operated in manual mode.

The moving train was being operated in automatic mode at the time of the wreck and was under the primary control of the on-board computer, officials said. The driver, Jeanice McMillan, 42, of Springfield, Va., was killed in the accident. There is evidence that she had pushed an emergency brake button on the train before the impact, but the train failed to stop in time, according to investigators.

Investigators Seeking More Info on Driver

McMillan was hired in January 2007 as a Metro bus driver and was later reassigned to work as a train operator in January 2009, according to the NTSB. Metro officials said all drivers begin work in buses before moving to operate the trains. After receiving training in the operation of the trains, McMillan began working as an operator in March.

Investigators want to examine McMillan’s cell phone and texting records to determine whether she was distracted before the crash, officials said. They also are looking into a passenger’s statement that the train had stopped briefly then started again before the crash.

However, Metro officials said there is no evidence that driver error played a part in the deadly accident.

In March 2009, a commuter train in the Los Angeles suburb of Chatsworth crashed into a freight train, killing 25 and injuring 135. The driver of that train died, but investigators said there was evidence that he was texting friends just seconds before the deadly collision. Officials said the driver may have been distracted and blew through a stop signal on the tracks, causing the head-on accident.

Older Train Cars Still in Use

The train McMillan was driving at the time of the wreck is among the oldest in the Metro fleet and did not contain all the safety features of newer trains. Metro officials have been criticized for failing to follow National Transportation Safety Administration recommendations in 2006 to phase out the use of older train cars for newer, safer models.

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