PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A federal investigation is underway into a train accident Monday night that claimed the life of a SEPTA worker.
SEPTA employee Darren Monroe, 54, was working on the tracks at the Erie station on the Broad Street Line when he fell backwards and was hit by an oncoming train, according to officials.
SEPTA assistant general manager Scott Sauer told CBS3 Monroe was doing maintenance work at the time.
"It appears they were inspecting the track at the time, making some minor repairs. It's routine that we would be conducting regular inspections during operating hours," he said.
The NTSB is now taking over the investigation into the crash that caused Monroe's death and injured another worker.
"We will interview, when we have the opportunity, the track worker that was not killed, people in operating, people on track, people of course in safety, supervision, training, and we'll start gathering a lot of information," he said.
Southworth said his crew, which has more than 85 years of experience, will use the latest technology and tools in this investigation.
"Keep in mind these accidents occur in an instant. These investigations are what I call "well-orchestrated industrial ballets," and we take some time to unravel and complete a thorough, factual investigation," he said.
He adds if they need to, they will make recommendations to SEPTA about what they can do to better protect their workers.
Monroe lived on Unruh Avenue in the city's Lawncrest section, and reportedly worked for SEPTA for 20 years.
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KYW Newsradio's Justin Udo contributed to this report.
