Operator dies and passengers injured as New Jersey commuter train hits a piece of a tree

Fire and rescue personnel are on the scene of a train accident in Mansfield Township in New Jersey on Oct. 14, 2024. (Alejandro A. Alvarez / The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

A New Jersey Transit commuter train struck a chunk of a tree on the tracks Monday, leaving the train operator dead and nearly two dozen people injured.

The accident occurred shortly after 6 a.m. just north of the Roebling Station in Mansfield Township, NJ Transit said in a statement. There were 42 passengers aboard the River Line train, and television news video showed a large piece of the tree under the front of the train.

Twenty-three people were treated for minor injuries, NJ Transit said. Authorities worked to determine how the tree ended up on the tracks.

River Line service was suspended in both directions between the Roebling and Trenton train stations, and sections of some nearby roads, including U.S. Highway 130, closed as authorities investigated.