WASHINGTON — Investigators looking into the crash of two Metro transit trains that killed nine people focused Tuesday on why a computerized system failed to halt an oncoming train, and why the train failed to stop even though the emergency brake was pressed.
At the time of the crash, the train was also operating in automatic mode, meaning it was controlled primarily by computer. In that mode, the operator’s main job is to open and close the doors and respond in case of an emergency.
Debbie Hersman, an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, said it was unclear if the emergency brake was actually engaged when Monday’s crash occurred. But the mushroom-shaped button that activates it was found pushed down in the operator’s compartment.
Hersman said it wasn’t clear when the button was pressed or how it got that way. She also said there was evidence of braking on the train’s rotors, indicating it was likely that the operator tried to slow down.
The train plowed into a stopped train ahead of it at the height of the Monday evening rush hour, killing nine people and injuring more than 70. It was the deadliest accident in the 30-year history of the Metro.
Crews spent Tuesday pulling apart the trains’ wreckage and searching for victims’ bodies. Authorities worked to determine why the train’s safeguards apparently did not kick in.
“That train was never supposed to get closer than 1,200 feet, period,” said Jackie Jeter, president of a union that represents Metro workers.
All Metro trains were running on manual control as a precaution against computer malfunction.
The cars in the moving train were some of the oldest in the transit network, dating to the founding of the Metro system.
Federal officials had sought to phase out the aging fleet because of safety concerns, but the transit system kept the old trains running, saying it lacked money for new cars.
The operator of the train that barreled into the stopped cars Monday was identified as Jeanice McMillan, 42, of Springfield, Va., who was killed, according to Metro officials.
Investigators want McMillan’s cellphone and texting records to determine whether she was distracted before the crash, Hersman said. Safety officials also are investigating a passenger’s statement that the train had stopped briefly, then started again before the crash.
“There is no evidence whatsoever that this driver has done anything to cause this accident,” Metro general manager John Catoe said Tuesday.
The crash occurred on the red line near the District of Columbia and Maryland border, in an area where higher train speeds are common because there is a longer distance between stops. Trains can go 55 to 59 mph, though it was not clear how fast the train that crashed was traveling.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, emergency crews cut away the top of the train that jackknifed on top of a stopped train. They removed the debris with help from a crane brought in overnight.
“The scene that I witnessed was one that no one should have to see,” Catoe said. “It was unbelievable destruction.”
Later, his voice choked with emotion as he addressed hundreds of employees at a prayer vigil Tuesday. He told them the agency will find out what caused the accident and develop a solution.
Metro has long pleaded for more funding to ensure the system’s safety. The transit network is supported by the District of Columbia, Maryland and the Virginia jurisdictions that it serves.
However, unlike other major systems, Metro has no dedicated funding source.
Among the other victims were the retired commanding general of the D.C. National Guard and his wife; an international specialist in nursing support; a retired teacher; a newly engaged mother of two; and a housekeeper with six children.
