NTSB: CREW LIKELY ASLEEP DURING 2014 ARKANSAS TRAIN CRASH

The fatal collision of two Union Pacific freight trains in Arkansas resulted from a fatigued engineer and conductor, both of whom likely were asleep aboard one of the trains, federal investigators ruled Tuesday.

The crash Aug. 17, 2014, inHoxie, Ark., could have been prevented by an automaticbraking system that Congress has required railroads to install by 2018, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

“Human operators can be fatigued, impaired, distracted or medically unfit, and they can make errors even on their best days,” said Christopher Hart, the board chairman. “This technological safety net is indispensable,” he said of automatic braking.