When something goes wrong on the tracks, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) rely on our train operators to think fast and react to the unexpected. They’re the ones who prevent major delays from becoming major disasters.
Last Wednesday, train operator Theodis Matthews came out of a tunnel in downtown Oakland and saw something dangerously out of place: a truck, driven by a drunk trespasser, heading straight toward him. Thanks to quick reflexes and proper situational awareness, he was able to stop his train full of people before it collided with the truck, potentially saving the life of the driver.
Without Theodis, what ended up as being 90 minutes of delay would have been a total loss of transbay service for the rest of the night, and BART commend his actions. This is just one example of why train operators are a necessary part of keeping BART service reliable – and customers safe.
