A Metro train operator says his elbow accidentally hit a door button Tuesday, causing the doors of a Yellow Line train to open before the train was on the platform.
The incident happened Tuesday on an aerial structure just outside the Reagan National Airport stop, according to riders who posted pictures of the open doors on social media.
The train operator told Metro officials his elbow hit the door button as he was taking off his jacket. But, various Metro sources are not buying the operator's explanation, News4's Adam Tuss reports.
Sources say the operator is the same Metro employee who was at the controls of a Yellow Line train when it filled with smoke in 2015, killing an Alexandria woman. But, the operator -- who was praised for how he handled the deadly smoke incident -- did not follow proper procedure Tuesday, according to a metro employee with direct knowledge of the situation.
A Metro source says the operator should have "walked around" his train after the doors opened, but the train continued on without inspection. The operator also did not notify Central Command about the incident, which is a direct violation of procedure, Tuss reports.
Metro did not comment directly on the issue, but says the incident is still under investigation.
