A San Francisco train operator dozed off behind the controls, crashing an empty train into another. The incident occurred on July 31 near the San Francisco Zoo.
A sleepy train operator got a rude awakening after dozing off behind the controls of a San Francisco train while on the job. Shocking video captures the operator nodding off moments before the empty train slams into another, shattering both windshields. The jolt instantly snapped the operator awake.
The collision occurred on the morning of July 31 near 47th Avenue and Wawona Street, just north of the San Francisco Zoo. Both trains were out of service and laying over between scheduled runs, completely empty of passengers. An investigation by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is ongoing.
SFMTA ruled out vehicle and infrastructure issues, citing operator fatigue
“This type of incident is simply unacceptable. While the formal investigation of the collision is ongoing, vehicle and infrastructure issues have been ruled out, and the initial determination for the incident is operator error caused by fatigue,” the SFMTA said.
It is not the first time a train operator in San Francisco has fallen asleep at the controls. A female operator was previously captured on video slumped over in her chair when a packed train hit a turn hard, throwing riders to the floor. The jolt woke the driver, who addressed terrified passengers.
The transport agency formally determined operator fatigue was the primary cause of that collision. In response, the SFMTA launched a systemwide fatigue-awareness education campaign to train operators on recognizing exhaustion, managing sleep schedules, and preventing similar incidents.
The video continues to circulate, raising concerns about operator fatigue.