NJ Transit, state senator hold public meeting to address River Line safety concerns

PALMYRA, New Jersey (WPVI) -- Community members in New Jersey had an opportunity to speak to state leaders and NJ Transit officials Tuesday night following recent fatal incidents involving the River Line train.

Last Monday, a train operator was killed and 23 others were injured when a train struck a fallen tree in Mansfield Township.

The victim, identified as 41-year-old Jessica Haley, was a single mother of three boys from Levittown, Pennsylvania, according to the family's attorney, Kila Baldwin.

READ MORE: Operator killed in NJ train accident ID'd as single mother of 3; family plans to take legal action

Baldwin says trees along the NJ Transit River Line route have been an issue for years.

"There have been trains in recent years that have hit trees, albeit smaller ones," Baldwin said last week. "At one point some of the dangerous trees were marked with X's but they were never taken down or trimmed."

In August, a 15-year-old boy was killed after being hit by a River Line train while crossing the tracks in Palmyra on his way to soccer practice.

READ MORE: Teen struck, killed by train while trying to get to soccer scrimmage in Palmyra, Burlington County

The head of NJ Transit was joined by other leaders at Tuesday night's meeting, which was organized by State Senator Troy Singleton.

He told Action News he wants this to be the start of a discussion about what changes need to be made to ensure safety on the tracks and in the communities the River Line runs through.

Action News attempted to speak with NJ Transit leadership after the meeting but they declined to comment.