Terrified passengers were left screaming and thrown to the floor after a train driver fell asleep at the controls, sending the packed carriage hurtling out of control at over 50mph
Terrified passengers were sent flying and screaming for help after their train driver fell asleep at the controls. The incident reportedly caused the packed carriage to accelerate wildly and nearly end in a catastrophic accident.
Shocking footage has captured the moment a train driver fell asleep at the controls, causing the packed two-car train to accelerate to over 50 miles per hour and nearly collide with a car. The incident, which took place in San Francisco, California, left passengers completely terrified as they were thrown to the floor.
In the video obtained by American news channel KRON4, the driver, who reportedly works for San Francisco’s official public transit agency Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), is seen slumped in her seat as the train hurtles through a sharp turn.
As a result, passengers are seen panicking with cries stating “I wanna get off!” and “Oh my God!”
The sudden bump woke the driver, who quickly regained control and stopped the train before repeatedly telling passengers to “relax,” saying, “I’m sorry.
“Relax, relax, relax. We didn’t crash.
“Relax.” According to the San Francisco Chronicle, one woman suffered a concussion. Moreover, the MTA later confirmed the incident was “an error as a result of operator fatigue”, the New York Post reported.
The agency further stated that the train “experienced a series of unexpected jolting movements while navigating a curve at an excessive speed of 50 mph”, and acknowledged that “several passengers were jostled and fell due to the sudden motion”.
The operator has since reportedly been placed on nondriving status.
Additionally, MTA director Julie Kirschbaum has reportedly called the incident “unacceptable.”
She also said: “We know this was a frightening experience for our riders, and we take that very seriously.
“Safety is always our top priority.”
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