SF Muni Operator Fell Asleep Before Train Crash, Agency Says

A newly surfaced video appears to show a San Francisco Muni train operator falling asleep at the controls just moments before slamming into the rear of another train, according to footage obtained by the group NorCal Bodycam and reviewed by multiple outlets. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) says its initial finding points to operator fatigue as the cause of the July 31 wreck — the second such fatigue-related crash the beleaguered transit agency has acknowledged in less than a year.

Video appears to show a San Francisco Muni operator falling asleep moments before an L Taraval train collided with another train. According to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the crash involved two L-Taraval trains near 47th Avenue and Wawona Street in the city's Sunset District on the morning of July 31. At about 8:32 a.m., the driver can be seen scratching his head before his hand falls to his side and he appears to fall asleep over roughly 20 seconds. Reports on how many riders were aboard varied slightly — the video showed the operator nodding off before rear-ending another train on the track, and two passengers on the train at the time of the crash exited the train after it came to a stop — while other outlets reported fire officials said both trains were empty of passengers at the time of the crash. Whatever the exact rider count, officials are united on one point: no one was injured in the collision.

SFMTA's Julie Kirschbaum, the agency's director of transportation, did not mince words. "This type of incident is simply unacceptable," Kirschbaum said in a statement, adding that "the safety of our passengers and operators is our most important priority, and we are grateful that no one was injured." Investigators moved quickly to rule out equipment failure, with the agency stating that vehicle and infrastructure issues have been ruled out, and the initial determination for the incident is operator error caused by fatigue. The operator involved has not been publicly named, but the operator was placed on non-driving status while the investigation continues.

What makes the incident especially alarming is that it is not an isolated failure. The crash is not the first time a Muni operator has fallen asleep while driving. On Sept. 24, 2025, the operator of an N Judah light rail train traveling toward downtown San Francisco fell asleep as the train accelerated through a curve, jostling riders from side to side. That earlier episode was far more chaotic — the train reached about 50 mph as it exited the Sunset Tunnel near Duboce Park, and several passengers were thrown forward or out of their seats. Crucially, SFMTA had already responded to that scare with supposed reforms: the SFMTA said its investigation of that incident also determined the cause was "operator fatigue," and the agency said it immediately launched a fatigue-awareness education campaign following that event. Less than a year later, another operator appears to have dozed off at the controls anyway — raising uncomfortable questions about whether the agency's "awareness campaign" amounted to anything more than a press release.

The timing could hardly be worse for the cash-strapped agency. Muni's safety lapses are surfacing as San Francisco voters prepare to consider a parcel tax to help fund the transit agency, putting city officials in the awkward position of asking taxpayers to open their wallets while basic operational safeguards — like ensuring drivers aren't nodding off mid-shift — appear to be failing. For a system already plagued by chronic mismanagement, the episode is likely to fuel skepticism among residents wary of throwing more public money at an agency that has yet to explain how operators are scheduled, how fatigue is monitored, or why rest-period enforcement failed twice in under a year.

For now, the operator was placed on non-driving status while the investigation continues, and Kirschbaum has pledged the agency will act once a final determination is made, though she stopped short of promising specifics. The investigation into the July 31 collision remains ongoing, and SFMTA has not yet detailed what disciplinary or scheduling changes, if any, will follow. BreakFirst will continue to track the investigation and any corrective action the agency ultimately announces.