San Francisco train operator falls asleep, causing empty-train collision

On the morning of July 31, a San Francisco Muni operator was captured on video drifting into sleep behind the controls of a train that was parked between runs. Moments later, the unmanned train collided with another idle train near 47th Avenue and Wawona Street, just north of the San Francisco Zoo, breaking both windshields. Because both trains were out of service, no passengers were present at the time of the crash.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s investigation ruled out any vehicle or infrastructure malfunction, attributing the incident to operator fatigue. The agency described the event as “unacceptable” and announced a systemwide fatigue-awareness education campaign to help operators recognize and manage exhaustion. The campaign will focus on sleep-schedule management and early-sign fatigue detection across the city’s rail network.