A video circulating on social media shows the moment a driver fell asleep on the San Francisco subway and almost got into an accident. The incident occurred around the morning of September 24th and was recorded on an in-car camera. The image was shared this week by Kron 4, a channel affiliated with MyNetworkTV, showing the panic among passengers.
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According to Cron 4, the driver was seen on a security camera dozing off and tilting his head forward and to the side. In another frame, a passenger could be seen standing, holding on to a railing and using a mobile phone, unable to imagine what was about to happen.
Suddenly, the train jerked and tilted to one side. The driver was woken up by the impact and was seen trying to regain control of the vehicle. Passengers screamed and began to fall on top of each other. “What’s going on?” one passenger asked, while others wept and asked to be let off the train. An alarm sounded inside the carriage.
Amid the chaos, the driver called on passengers to calm down. “Sorry, relax, relax, we didn’t hit,” he said, trying to reassure the group. However, the train continued straight past the planned stopping point and suddenly stopped several meters away after crossing the intersection. Paramedics were called, but there were no major injuries, the department said.
Agency admits failure due to fatigue
The San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Authority (SFMTA) acknowledged that the episode was the result of operator fatigue. In a statement to Kron4 this Monday (10th), SFMTA Transportation Director Julie Kirschbaum classified the incident as “unacceptable” and said safety is “always a top priority.”
“Safety is always our top priority. We are taking responsibility for this unacceptable incident and are taking all necessary steps to protect the safety and trust of Muni,” Kirschbaum said.
SFMTA’s internal investigation concluded there was no mechanical failure on the train or track. The mistake was attributed solely to driver fatigue, and the driver was suspended. The agency also reported increasing training on the importance of identifying signs of fatigue and reporting them before taking control of a vehicle.
Despite the fear, the train did not derail and the train survived without any major injuries.
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