WASHINGTON — A man who was struck and killed March 13 by a Blue Line train at the McPherson Square Metrorail station has been identified as Kurtland Johnson, 42, of Washington, D.C.
Eyewitnesses reported that Johnson intentionally stepped in front of the train. Johnson, a Metrobus operator since September 2008, was on administrative leave pending the results of an internal investigation into a bus accident that occurred on March 6. It is standard procedure for Metro to conduct internal investigations after accidents or incidents involving Metro vehicles.
On March 6, Johnson was driving Metrobus 3719 on the N8 route to the Van Ness-UDC Metrorail station. At 4:30 p.m., an automobile attempted to pass the bus at Connecticut Ave., and Van Ness Street N.W., and made contact with the bus. At the time of the incident, there were no reported injuries to the seven passengers on board the bus, the bus operator, or the automobile driver. Charges were not filed by the D.C. Metropolitan Police following the accident.
Blue and Orange line Metrorail service was disrupted for about three hours on March 13 after Johnson was fatally struck by a six-car train at the McPherson Square Metrorail station. The train was traveling outbound toward the Franconia-Springfield Metrorail station at 1:16 p.m. when Johnson was hit.
The McPherson Square Metrorail station was closed throughout the incident. In addition, Blue and Orange line trains did not service the Farragut West, nor the lower level of the Metro Center Metrorail station.
