According to officials, the train driver had alcohol in his system during the 2023 accident

CHICAGO— Federal investigators say the operator of a Chicago commuter train that crashed nearly a year ago had alcohol in his system.

The Chicago Transit Authority train crashed into a slow-moving snow plow that was on the tracks on November 16. 38 people were injured, including the train driver.

A National Transportation Safety Board report said a hospital test showed the 47-year-old driver had a blood alcohol level of 0.06% about an hour after the crash, the Chicago Tribune reported Thursday. The federal limit is 0.02%. The state limit in Illinois is 0.08%.

An additional test at a federal laboratory showed his blood alcohol level was 0.048%, the report released Aug. 8 said.

The CTA told the newspaper Thursday that the NTSB has prohibited the agency from commenting on an ongoing investigation. The agency said in a statement that it monitors its employees' drug and alcohol use by conducting hundreds of random tests on employees each month. According to the NTSB report, the train operator was hired in 2021 but never conducted a random drug or alcohol test during his tenure.

According to the report, the operator told investigators that the train's brakes were not working properly in the moments before the accident.

“I applied the brake, but I still feel a slight pressure on the train, so I think I'll pull the brake down,” the train driver told NTSB investigators. “I jump on the radio and say, 'The train isn't stopping.' I’m fine, my body is being crushed.”

NTSB investigators said in the days after the accident that they were focused on a design problem with the train's braking system. NTSB officials said preliminary findings indicate the train was traveling at a speed of 26.9 miles per hour (43.3 km/h) when it hit the snowplow.

The plow was on the tracks as part of training for the winter season. A train instructor who was working on the plow told investigators that it appeared the train driver was trying to apply the brakes, but he knew an accident was inevitable.

“I prayed and hoped the train would stop, but at the speed the train was coming, I already knew it wouldn't stop,” the instructor said.

The instructor hit his head and became unconscious for a few seconds. He said the operator slowed the train slightly and potentially saved lives.

“The platoon leader is the real hero because if he didn’t slow the train down, I probably wouldn’t be here with you right now,” the instructor told investigators.