Fallen trees were an issue on RiverLine for 18 months before train operator was killed, report says

The National Transportation Safety Board recently issued its report on the crash that killed a NJ Transit train operator last year in Burlington County and found what was obvious, that the light rail train struck a downed tree on the tracks.

However, the report says River Line light rail cars struck trees four times in the 18 months prior to the early-morning Oct. 14, 2024, crash that killed Jessica Haley in Mansfield, and the investigation found six cases of downed trees being reported on or near River Line tracks in that period.

None of the tree strikes caused injuries, but two left train cars with cracked windshields, on Jan. 9 and July 17, 2024, the report says.

“The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of New Jersey Transit train 207 striking a fallen tree, resulting in a tree branch piercing the front windshield and fatally injuring the train operator, was the predawn low light conditions that prevented the operator from seeing the tree in time to stop the train,” the report says.

The report says Haley, 41, of Levittown, Pennsylvania, initiated emergency braking about 340 feet from the tree — less than two seconds after seeing it — and investigators concluded: “The operator’s actions were therefore correct and timely, and they did not contribute to the accident.”

It’s unclear why the tree fell, but weather did not appear to be a factor. The tree had internal decay, the report says.

The NTSB’s findings, specifically about trees on the tracks, are consistent with claims made by Haley’s family shortly after the crash.

A lawyer representing the family, as well as Haley’s sister Rebecca Haley, who also worked for the company that runs the River Line, said train operators complained for years about the danger of fallen trees, including a train that had previously struck a tree, but little was done.

The family plans a lawsuit.

NJ Transit declined comment for this story.

Alstom said in a statement, “We appreciate the thorough investigation conducted by the NTSB. Alstom is committed to a culture of safety, and we will continue to evaluate and enhance our safety programs to safeguard our employees and the public.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to Jessica’s family. This incident has deeply affected our entire team and we honor her memory.”

In September, NJ Transit announced it was taking over River Line operations from Alstom.

The report says NJ Transit and Alstom made corrective actions after the crash.

Alstom established a temporary 30-mph speed restriction near the crash area and hired an arborist to assess other trees along the tracks. They eventually removed 111 trees, and in February 2025 lifted the speed restriction.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation, which is NJ Transit’s safety oversight agency, said it would continue to monitor the issues of down trees and added specific tree inspections to their federally-mandated quarterly inspection schedule. They completed four such inspections in 2025, the report says.

The NTSB report, which contains 43 docketed items, gives a detailed account of the crash.

Haley worked for Alstom and reported for duty at 4:48 a.m. that morning at a NJ Transit facility in Trenton. Train 207 was the first River Line train to roll and she left the Hamilton Avenue station in the city at 5:47 a.m. heading south.

The train departed Bordentown at 5:55 a.m. and by this point it was still dark, with the train’s headlights providing the only illumination. No precipitation was falling, and the temperature was 60 degrees.

At 5:58 a.m. the train struck the tree on a stretch of track in Mansfield. Haley died at the scene, and 23 of the 41 passengers on board suffered injuries. Florence was the next stop.

The tree was a chestnut oak with a trunk 3 feet in diameter. It was on private property about 40 feet east of the tracks and 11 feet past NJ Transit’s property line, the report says.

“An arborist examined the tree’s stump after the collision and identified internal decay extending from the trunk into the tree’s root system. The arborist’s report did not include a reason why the tree fell when it did. Weather conditions the night before the accident were calm with winds of about 4 mph and no precipitation,” the report says.

The most recent track inspection prior to the crash was just three days earlier. “It did not identify any defects related to trees or other vegetation,” the report says.

Examinations of the train found no mechanical defects.

Haley’s train-driving certifications were current and in 2024 she had passed four unannounced, simulated tests related to unexpected stops, two of which had to do with rail obstructions. A drug and alcohol examination of her body found no impairing substances, the NTSB report says.

Born in Philadelphia, Haley lived in the area her entire life and went by Jessie. She was a single mother of three boys and worked on the River Line for 20 years, her obituary says.

She loved kickboxing, animals and just being a mom, it said. “Jessie will be missed by so many.”

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