![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1792727302_901_Aponte-Lipski-ad.png\"\/)
<\/a><\/p>\nTwo minutes later, train operator Ronald Kangalee was instructed to proceed with extreme caution toward the reported hazard without a specific speed restriction and without the track first being cleared, leading to the woman being struck and killed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re baffled as to why thy didn\u2019t stop all traffic. There was nowhere for her to go. It\u2019s not like there was a pedestrian path for her at that location. And she was extremely inebriated. And they knew it. And they chose not to stop traffic,\u201d expressed Transportation Workers United Local 229 President Wallace Phalone Williams said at the presser at the Newport light rail station.<\/p>\n
Bill Brennan, an attorney for the union, said ACI\/Herzog has a history of cutting corners and doing things to to avoid responsibility for their actions.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been reported that the the passenger interface buttons that that that communicate with the train operators are frequently out of service, and nothing\u2019s being done about it,\u201d Brennan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cRecently, a radio malfunctioned on one of the on one of the trains. It was left in service. It broke the next day, and they tried to accuse the the train operator of breaking the breaking the radio and discipline them for it. Fortunately, there was video and and there was a prior report that the radio was broken. They\u2019re just they\u2019re cutting corners.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Brennan, ACI\/Herzog favors profits over people.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re not good stewards of the the contract that they\u2019ve been awarded, and they should be removed,\u201d Brennan said.<\/p>\n
After Brennan, Williams began by noting that the woman\u2019s death was preventable.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst and foremost, a woman lost her life. Whatever personal struggles she may have faced, she was a human being deserving of dignity and protection, she died in a horrific way, and we believe her death could have been prevented,\u201d Williams asserted.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur position is that inconsistent, inadequate operating direction and failures, in response to a reported hazard, contributed to this tragedy. Clear, established policies and protocols, consistently enforced, could have stopped train movements, secured the area, and brought appropriate emergency assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Williams said they believe that ACI\/Herzog Management is trying to deflect responsibility and place the blame for the woman\u2019s death on the operator because it considers that the easier path.<\/p>\n
\u201cBlaming one employee does not address the failures in oversight, operating direction, and emergency response that demands a full accounting,\u201d Williams said.<\/p>\n
\u201cManagement must answer for its own decisions. Operations received a report of a woman who appeared severely intoxicated in the track area, yet ordered trains to continue with extreme caution without imposing a specific speed restriction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Williams echoed Brennan, demanding answers about why trains continued moving before the woman\u2019s location was established and the danger was resolved.<\/p>\n
\u201cProceed with caution is not a substitute for controlling a known hazard,\u201d Williams stated.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn operator cannot be expected to compensate for uncertainty about a person\u2019s location through vigilance alone. Management must provide clear instructions and take responsibility for conditions under which it authorizes movement.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Williams, members\u2019 experiences paints a picture of ACI\/Herzog deepening systematic problems then blaming the workforce for the consequences.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmployees need adequate resources, consistent supervision, effective training, and clear procedures,\u201d Williams said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will say this plainly: in our membership experience, ACI\/Herzog has been the worst company they have had to endure, and that starts at the top of the organization. Senior leadership establishes the priorities and culture. Accountability cannot stop with the employee operating the train.\u201d<\/p>\n
Williams said that Kangalee, deserves a fair process, citing that a union review of the disciplinary letter found it listed operating rules without identifying the specific act supporting his 10-day suspension.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe demand that the company explain precisely what it claims he did wrong after being directed to proceed,\u201d Williams added.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are demanding full disclosure and transparency. An independent investigation must determine whether on-time performance incentives influence the decision to continue service.\u201d<\/p>\n
He continued that they are demanding an independent investigation, preservation and release of relevant records, rescission of the operation operator suspension, and clear protective procedures for reports of people in the track area.<\/p>\n
He said they also demand meaningful trauma support for the operator and every employee affected.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur members keep this railroad moving, but they also know when safety requires it to stop,\u201d Williams said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe public deserves answers. This woman\u2019 family deserves accountability, justice, and closure, and our workforce deserves leadership that puts human life first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Williams and Brennan emphasized the lack of visibility and ability to stop on Kangalee\u2019s part, as well as the swift and harsh punishment by ACI\/Herzog limiting the train operator from operating HBLR trains and in the yard.<\/p>\n
Despite other similar fatalities not yielding the train operator such a consequence, it is the first under this management company.<\/p>\n
While a person on the tracks is listed as a valid excuse per the contract, ACI\/Herzog opted not to stop all train traffic but to issue a proceed with caution order.<\/p>\n
According to Brennan, ACI\/Herzog has that excused train exception to on-time performance bonus deductions that they could have used in this case and \u201cthey chose not to.\u201d<\/p>\n
ACI\/Herzog said in a statement Thursday that the union misrepresented the situation and offered their condolences, but declined to speak beyond that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe incident in September was an unfortunate tragedy, and our thoughts go out to all
involved. While the union\u2019s press release misrepresents the circumstances of the incident,
management will not comment further.\u201d<\/p>\n
Additionally, NJ Transit, the operator of the HBLR, said the matter remains under investigation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe matter remains under active investigation, which is being led by the New Jersey Transit Police Department. In addition to that law enforcement investigation, NJ Transit\u2019s Safety Department and Light Rail management teams will be conducting a comprehensive safety review,\u201d they said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause the circumstances involve ACI\/Herzog JV and the HBLR union, NJ Transit will refrain from further comment until the investigative processes are complete. NJ Transit maintains the highest safety standards and expects everyone to meet those same standards.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Editor\u2019s note: This story was updated with a comment from ACI\/Herzog.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1792727304_608_Weiner-side-panel-ad.png\"\/)
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hudson-Bergen Light Rail union workers rallied for justice in Jersey City for their colleague after he was suspended…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":380421,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[139501,60129,9,11,10,139502,139503],"class_list":["post-380420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york","tag-aci-herzog","tag-hudson-bergen-light-rail","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-headlines","tag-new-york-news","tag-ronald-kangalee","tag-twu-local-29"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=380420"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380420\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/380421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=380420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=380420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=380420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/TWU-Local-29-e1792703402235.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n