Metro News Release
For immediate release: March 14, 2009
Man fatally struck at McPherson Square Metrorail station yesterday identified
A man who was struck and fatally injured by a Blue Line train yesterday afternoon at the McPherson Square Metrorail station has been identified as a 42-year-old resident, of Washington, DC.
Eyewitnesses reported that the man intentionally stepped in front of the train. The man, a Metrobus operator since September 2008, was on administrative leave pending the results of an internal investigation into a bus accident that occurred on Friday, March 6. It is standard procedure for Metro to conduct internal investigations after accidents or incidents involving Metro vehicles.
On March 6, the operator was driving Metrobus 3719 on the N8 route to the Van Ness-UDC Metrorail station. At 4:30 p.m., an automobile attempted to pass the bus at Connecticut Ave., and Van Ness Street N.W., and made contact with the bus. At the time of the incident, there were no reported injuries to the seven passengers on board the bus, the bus operator, or the automobile driver. Charges were not filed by the D.C. Metropolitan Police following the accident.
Blue and Orange line Metrorail service was disrupted for about three hours yesterday after the man was fatally struck by a six-car train at the McPherson Square Metrorail station. The train was traveling outbound toward the Franconia-Springfield Metrorail station at 1:16 p.m. when the man was hit.
The McPherson Square Metrorail station was closed throughout the incident. In addition, Blue and Orange line trains did not service the Farragut West, nor the lower level of the Metro Center Metrorail station.
Metro operated 25 free shuttle buses from the Foggy Bottom Metrorail station to the Federal Triangle Metrorail station to help passengers around the incident area.
Normal rail service on the Blue and Orange lines resumed at 4:07 p.m.
The investigation into his death is being conducted by the Metro Transit Police Department and the District of Columbia Medical Examiner’s Office.
News release issued at 11:13 am, March 14, 2009.