Operator dies, more than a dozen passengers hurt as New Jersey train hits tree

A New Jersey commuter train struck a tree on the tracks Monday, killing the engineer and injuring nearly two dozen people.

The crash occurred shortly after 6 a.m. just north of the Roebling Station in Mansfield Township, NJ Transit said in a statement. There were 42 passengers aboard the River Line train, and television news video showed a large section of the tree under the front of the train.

Twenty-three people were treated for minor injuries, NJ Transit said. Authorities were trying to determine how the tree ended up on the tracks.

River Line service was suspended in both directions between the Roebling and Trenton train stations, and portions of some nearby roads, including US Highway 130, were closed after authorities investigated.