By james art 
A New Jersey Transit train operator died Monday morning after a River Line train struck a tree that fell onto the tracks in Mansfield, Burlington County.
According to New Jersey Transit, the train was traveling south from Trenton when it struck the tree north of the Roebling station just after 6 a.m.
NJ Transit said 42 people were on board at the time of the crash, and 23 of those riders suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The remaining 19 passengers from the train were transported from the scene by bus.
On Tuesday, the River Line service will be available between Florence Station and Camden Leisure Centre. But service between the Trenton Transit Center and Florence Station will be suspended Tuesday, as it was Monday after the crash, according to NJ Transit. Service between Trenton Transit Center and Florence Station will be replaced by buses at all stations.
NJ Transit said it will continue to make necessary repairs and assess the area affected by the crash out of an abundance of caution before resuming regular service.
(1 of 3) For the full service day on Tuesday 15 October, the River LINE service will continue to operate between Florence Station and Camden Leisure Centre,
— River Line (@NJTRANSIT_RL) October 15, 2024
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy told X that he had been informed of the incident and offered his prayers “to all those affected by this tragic incident.”
Helicopter 3 flew over the crash site as the New Jersey Transit Police assessed the damage.
A large tree trunk was wedged under the front of the wrecked train.
Evelyn Whitman lives in a motel overlooking the tracks, and she said first responders used her parking lot as a staging area.
“It was at least 10-20 [vehicles]” Whitman said. “It’s just really scary.”
Patrick Redding also lives at the motel and he pointed out a steep slope that leads from the motel to the tracks. He expressed concern that some of the trees on the slope could collapse on the tracks.
“I think they should cut down those trees that look dangerous,” Redding said.
A man has been arrested for allegedly making threats against FEMA officials
FEMA teams are threatened amid hurricane recovery efforts
SpaceX is taking a step toward developing reusable rockets after a successful launch and recovery