A fatality that occurred when an Atlanta transit train struck equipment that was on the train tracks was the result of a flagperson moving the on-track equipment (OTE) outside of the restriction area without authority and on-track protection.

That’s the conclusion of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which investigated the incident. It occurred on the morning of June 3, 2018, when a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) northbound train struck (OTE) near Sandy Springs, Georgia. The Cleveland Electric Company, a MARTA contractor, owned and operated the OTE. A contract employee, who was the operator of the OTE, died from injuries sustained during the collision. Neither the passengers nor the train operator reported any injuries. The train speed at the time of collision was 22 mph.

In addition to the actions of the flagperson, the NTSB determined that a contributing factor was the rail operator’s failure to make a visual check of the immediate track area ahead of the train and to maintain a constant visual check of track conditions as far ahead as possible.