CTA crash: Attorney for victims of 2023 Yellow Line train crash responds to report that CTA operator had alcohol in system

CHICAGO (WLS) – There was new reaction Thursday to an ABC7 I-Team report that the operator of a CTA Yellow Line train that crashed last year had alcohol in his system.

Sixteen people were injured when the train hit a snowplow on the tracks last November.

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According to National Transportation Safety Board records reviewed by the I-Team, the train driver's blood alcohol concentration was 0.06. This is three times higher than the federal limit for railway employees in safety-related positions.

A second blood test from the train driver showed a value of 0.04, which is also above the federal limit.

A lawyer representing six of the victims said: “There are many questions about the train driver's reaction time and his ability to stop the train, which could have prevented these injuries.”

The NTSB also commented, saying, “The investigation is ongoing, but investigators have not determined at this time that the operator's actions contributed to the accident.”

The CTA has referred all questions about the investigation to federal regulators, but said the Yellow Line operator “remains out of service.”