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10/18/2023
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) yesterday opened the public docket for its ongoing investigation into a 2022 fatal accident involving two contractor employees and a Port Authority Transit Corp. (PATCO) train in Camden, New Jersey.
The accident occurred Oct. 14, 2022, during a planned outage on a second track for contract concrete work, according to the NTSB docket. However, at the time of the accident, the second track had not been taken out of service when the contractors, who worked for JPC Group Inc., entered the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in a close clearance area. The striking train was traveling at 33 mph. The train was put into emergency braking, stopping about 1.5 car lengths from where the two contractors were struck.
According to the report, the train's operator stated that two people were observed on the right of way with their backs to the train, looking down at the tracks below. Although the train was placed into emergency braking and the horn was sounded, the train was unable to stop in time, according to the report.
The public docket can be viewed here.