On June 22, 2009, the deadliest crash in Metrorail's history occurred when two Red Line trains collided near the Fort Totten station, killing nine people and injuring dozens more.

The accident, and a subsequent National Transportation Safety Board investigation, offered a harsh assessment of Metro’s lax safety maintenance. That Monday just before 5 p.m., at the height of rush hour, a downtown-bound Red Line train leaving the Takoma station stopped temporarily on the tracks near the New Hampshire Avenue NE overpass. A second train, headed in the same direction, rammed into the rear of the stationary train at 55 mph, causing the last car of that train to break apart on impact.

(For a slideshow of photos of the accident and its aftermath, click here.)

Olga Bryant, a Walter Reed Army Medical Center employee, was a passenger on the first train. She told Washington City Paper at the scene that it had been stopped for about 10 minutes before the crash. For those who ride Metro long enough, such delays become routine. Brenda Payton, who was on the speeding train, told City Paper: "We just felt a big crunch and saw smoke and stuff. We got off the train as fast as we could." Fellow passenger Anastasia McKeown said: “You could tell we hit something that wasn't an animal." Crews had to cut some passengers out of the mangled cars and propped up steel ladders to help others escape the wreckage. (For a photo gallery of the emergency response, click here.)

Then-Mayor Adrian Fenty spoke at a press conference on June 23, confirming nine dead and 76 injured. “We want to express our condolences ... our hearts go out to the many loved ones,” Fenty said. “We are cooperating fully with WMATA. They will then cooperate fully with the NTSB."

Among the fatalities was train operator Jeanice McMillan, 42. Speculation grew in the aftermath of the crash that McMillan had been texting when the trains collided. WTOP confirmed with then-Metro General Manager John Catoe that the rumors were untrue. "We know where her cell phone was—it was not on her. It was in a backpack ... There's not one letter of evidence that our operator did anything to cause the accident,” Catoe said. He added that the train had braked for several hundred feet before the crash.

Among the eight other fatalities were LaVonda King, 23, owner of a new hair salon; Maj. Gen. David F. Wherley Jr., 62, a command pilot; and Veronica DuBose, 29, a nursing student.

The NTSB’s investigation into the June 2009 accident determined that the automatic train-control system had failed to detect the delayed train, The Washington Post reported.

NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman told the Post that D.C.’s Metrorail—the second-busiest in the country with about 200 million passenger trips a year—had “significant deficiencies in their safety culture.”

Hersman also accused Metro of ignoring the NTSB’s warnings—the most significant of which regarding its potentially malfunctioning track circuits and oldest cars dating back to the 1970s—for 15 years before the crash, according to the Associated Press. The NTSB made a series of new recommendations to Metro after the accident.

The previous most-deadliest crash in Metro’s history occurred in 1982, when an Orange Line train derailed near the Federal Triangle station due to an improperly aligned switch, killing three passengers.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery. For more of Montgomery's photos click here.

Phillips Flames Extinguished: A fire in a museum is about the worst nightmare any curator could have. So when the Phillips Collection started blazing this morning, it would have been easy to panic. But museum workers spirited artworks out of the building as soon as they realized the fire had started, and the areas directly below the fire held only offices, no exhibits or art storage. There wasn't even much water damage. That's how we like our potentially catastrophic fires—nice and tidy. +2

Sharks Patrol These Waters: The Potomac River conjures up quite a few images—fireworks on the Fourth of July, occasional floods in low-lying parts of Alexandria, a nice body of water to leap into out of frustration while stuck in a traffic jam on the 14th Street Bridge. It did not, however, often bring to mind the movie Jaws—until now. Willy Dean, who cast a net in the Potomac in St. Mary's County, Md., on Monday in hopes of catching rays for a marine biologist, found an 8-foot bull shark instead on Tuesday morning (the shark now resides in his freezer). Finally, a way to fight back against the snakeheads! +4

Calm Down, Earl: Weather officials downgrade Hurricane Earl to Category 3, as sustained wind speeds drop to 125 mph. Chances of any real disruption to life in the District from the storm are now diminishing rapidly. Just to be safe, D.C. officials send out an emergency alert reporting that "if in fact Hurricane Earl changes its path," we should "rest assured that District agencies are prepared to respond immediately." Somehow, the whole situation was more comforting before we found that out. +2

Red Line to Red Ink: Bringing Metro in line with the National Transportation Safety Board's recommendations after last year's fatal crash near Takoma will cost almost $1 billion. Most of the tab would go to replacing 300 old cars, of the 1000 series model that pancaked in the crash. Sadly, the NTSB made no recommendations at all that might convince Metro to keep elevators in better shape or prevent buses from running over pedestrians. Presumably, to pay for the safety upgrades, it will soon cost $9.85 to ride one stop downtown. But hey, at least you'll survive the trip! -2

Yesterday's Needle rating: 27 Today's score: +6 Bonus points because no one was taken hostage today: +2 Today's Needle rating: 35

"Graham made the comment at the close of a Monday afternoon meeting between the Metro board and the National Transportation Safety Board. The two groups met to discuss 16 recommendations the NTSB made to the transit agency last month at the conclusion of its year-long investigation into the deadly crash....

Graham fired back at statements the federal safety board has made, including that the Metro board was 'tone deaf' to safety issues before the crash.

'What could I have done differently?' Graham asked rhetorically. 'I've asked myself that question on a personal level, and I conclude I don't know what I could have done.'"

Wow.

*file photo by Darrow Montgomery.

Michigan Serial Killer Migrates South?: Authorities say the vehicle used by the attacker in a recent assault in Leesburg, Va., matches the description of the vehicle police believe an attacker used near Flint, Mich., earlier this year. That's bad news; in Michigan, authorities think the same suspect has killed five people and wounded eight others since May. Near Leesburg, three attacks may fit the pattern—all recent incidents where black victims were attacked by a white man. (All but one of the Michigan victims were black.) If you can come up with a joke on the theme of "racially motivated serial killer on the loose," please feel free to insert it here. -7

Metro Board Meets Safety Board: Unhappy with the National Transportation Safety Board's ruling that last summer's Red Line crash was caused by faulty equipment and a lax culture of safety oversight, Metro officials decided to plead with the feds to see things their way. "Safety is the top priority at Metro," Metro board chairman Peter Benjamin told the NTSB. Unfortunately, the ways Metro chooses to make that priority clear—running over pedestrians with buses, for example—don't always translate very well to riders. The meeting is, at least, a sign that the NTSB report got through to someone at the transit agency. Stick to your guns, NTSB! +4

The Prodigal Redskin Returns: Redskins money pit defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth joined the team for his first practice of the season today, after finally passing a fitness test that had turned him, and the team, into the summer amusement for eager NFL fans. Coach Mike Shanahan says Haynesworth "looked pretty good," though he also admitted he didn't actually, um, see much of the $21 million man's workout. For now, he'll begin the season on the bench. Which, as it happens, is also where he spent about three out of every four plays last season. +4

TBD Launches: In today's dismal media environment, it's quite a vote of confidence in the District, the region and—we daresay—the power of the press itself that Albritton Communications chose to launch a brand new newspaper covering local affairs. Wait, what? Oh. Okay, okay, TBD is online only, and yes, its lead story this afternoon linked to The Washington Post's website. Still, it was good to see the site finally go live today—if only because it means their staff will have something other than pre-launch hype to Twitter. +3

Friday's Needle rating: 38 Today's score: 4 Today's Needle rating: 42

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT—"City FC Builds Hearts, Minds, and Soccer Fields," "Another Blaze Scorches Joe Englert's Boozy Empire," "Was Robert Wone Killed By Martial Arts Expert?," "World Cup Roundup," "Anonymous Tip Leads To Fenty Canvasser Arrest"

Good Morning. Overcrowding at New Beginnings may have led to violence at the youth facility this past weekend. WaPo's Henri Cauvin reports: "New Beginnings, the District's juvenile detention center in Laurel, had been overcrowded for days when a detainee attacked a staff member Sunday night and set off a disturbance that lasted about an hour. Designed to hold 60 people, New Beginnings had been overcapacity for several days, according to a union official. On Sunday, 70 people were in custody, according to the union official, Tasha Williams, and a law enforcement source. After staff from the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, which operates New Beginnings, signaled the end of recreation early Sunday night, some detainees balked. Three of them ran onto a roof of the building and two others refused orders to enter their living units, DYRS said in a statement Monday. When the shift commander tried to defuse the situation, a 20-year-old detainee punched him in the face, fracturing the man's jaw, according to Williams, chair of the DYRS unit of the Fraternal Order of Police....Although no one escaped the compound, it was not until officers from Anne Arundel County and Maryland State Police responded that all of the youths were back in their units. D.C. police, including Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier, two assistant chiefs and a SWAT team also were on the scene." More coverage via AP, NBC4.

WaPo's Editorial Board weighs in on the New Beginnings incident, DYRS troubles, and the confidentiality issue. Police had trouble getting the security tapes to see who actually perpetrated the attack on the guard: "POLICE WHO responded to Sunday's disturbance at the District's juvenile detention center in Laurel made what should have been a routine request. They wanted to view the facility's surveillance videos to determine responsibility for the assault of a staff member and other possible crimes. Instead, they ended up in court because the city's confidentiality laws for juvenile offenders precluded release — even to the police — of this material. How much more absurd does the situation have to get before the D.C. Council does something about rules that show more regard for those who break the law than those who need its protection?...Attorney General Peter Nickles, who is conducting a review of the juvenile justice system, told us that he's increasingly convinced that strict confidentiality laws harm public safety by shrouding the system in such secrecy that public confidence is undermined. And, as council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) argues, confidentiality has the perverse effect of hampering efforts to help youths by keeping information from people who could use it. Wouldn't teachers, pastors and coaches, he asks, be better able to help at-risk youths if they knew what was going on in their lives? Instead, the law prevents youth rehabilitation officials or police from alerting anyone to a potential problem. Mr. Wells is sponsoring legislation that would relax these rules. The only question the council should be asking is whether the changes go far enough."

This substitute LL might add another reason the confidentiality laws should be dismantled: Opening up juvenile cases would assist the press in knowing when and how the Child and Family Services Agency and/or DYRS screws up. Too many juvenile offenders are what is called dual jacketed–they have cases in both Family Court and in the criminal courts. Letting these kids tell their stories would provide the public better insight into the social safety net, and how the city assists its most troubled residents The public has a right to know what the District's social workers, educators, and lawyers have done for these kids before they abscond.

The District should also consider allowing public access to security tapes from the D.C. Jail. There were a number of stabbings at the D.C. Jail last winter; the Department of Corrections offered little information about those cases. This LL is still waiting on a FOIA he filed many, many months ago.

AFTER THE JUMP: Metro unsafe one year later, one mother writes Fenty re: DYRS, Michelle Rhee wants to volunteer for Fenty campaign, and much, much more!

METRO CRASH ANNIVERSARY: WaPo's Ann Scott Tyson reports that Metro's safety improvements since the crash have stalled out. Tyson got one great scare quote from the NTSB: "The crash was a catalyst for an examination of transit safety nationwide — spurring a push by the Obama administration for federal oversight legislation, a shakeup in Metro leadership and unparalleled scrutiny of the agency by the National Transportation Safety Board, which now has four open investigations into incidents at Metro. So far, however, the legislation remains stalled in Congress, state oversight is fractured and weak, Metro lacks a permanent leadership team, and the NTSB's final report on the cause of last June's Red Line crash, which killed nine and injured dozens, isn't expected until late July. 'There are significant deficiencies in their safety culture,' said Deborah A.P. Hersman, chairman of the NTSB. 'We do not see the frequency of accidents on other properties that we are seeing on Metro. The most disappointing . . . is when we issue recommendations and those issues do not get corrected. For us, that is a big concern about Metro,' she said. Nine NTSB recommendations issued to Metro in July and September, in the aftermath of the accident, remain open, according to NTSB records." NC8 reports on how first responders are still coping with the crash. And WBJ reports that Metro is thinking about adding shops, vending machines to stops.

RETIRED TEACHERS MAY TAKE PAY HIT: The Examiner's Leah Fabel reports that with the new contract, retired teachers will not be entitled to back pay: "Three years of back pay provided in the new contract for D.C. Public Schools teachers would not be available for those who recently retired, though their colleagues fired in the fall can expect a check.If the teacher-approved contract passes the D.C. City Council next week as expected, about 4,300 teachers this summer would receive more than 11 percent of their most recent salary to make up for three years without a pay raise. In addition, nearly 300 teachers let go in November as part of a contentious round of firings would receive a check for closer to 7 percent of their most recent salary. Teachers who retired or left the system for other reasons in the past three years would receive nothing. Jacqueline Schuler, who retired in 2008, called the provision unfair at a Monday council hearing. 'The contract should not be ratified until provisions have been made to compensate teachers who retired during the contract process,' she said. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee defended the decision, saying it allowed for more competitive raises for teachers still in the classroom. Contract negotiations 'are a lot about determining priorities and where you're going to push and pull,' Rhee said. 'There were limited resources.'"

GRAY VS. FENTY: Vincent Gray is set to open a field office in the heart of Fenty's Ward 4 turf. This Saturday, Gray will actually host an event that includes a ribbon cutting at the new digs at 4300 Georgia AVE, NW to be held between 4 and 6 p.m. WaPo's Mike DeBonis reports: "The Gray camp denies any symbolism....'It is pure coincidence,' says campaign spokesperson Traci Hughes. 'We've got growing support in Ward 4; it happens to be right there.'...In signing a second lease, the Gray campaign is also sending a message that it expects fundraising efforts to remain strong. The space is being rented from Aubrey Stephenson, president and chief executive of Federal Management Systems Inc., a government consulting firm whose logo adorns the awning outside the building. There's one problem: The awning's green — and that's Fenty's color. 'We're going to change the signage,' Hughes says."

RHEE WANTS TO CAMPAIGN FOR FENTY: WaPo's Bill Turque reports: "Exactly what plans the Fenty campaign has to deploy Rhee are unclear. Spokeswoman Helen Hare took the question Friday morning, but hasn't responded. She would undoubtedly be an asset–even if an untitled one–in areas of the city where her school reform efforts remain deeply popular. Rhee said in an interview that she has not had a detailed discussion with the mayor's campaign about her role, but that she expected there to be one. 'I have communicated to the campaign office that I would imagine that at some point I would like to do volunteer work, going door to door. But I don't have any firm plans,' she said. Besides, she added, 'I have a wedding to plan,' referring to her Sept. 4 date with Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. She said that much of whatever disposable time she had was going toward the yet-to-be-finalized guest list."

MORE DYRS: WUSA9 makes public a letter written to Fenty by a murder victim's mother. The letter reads in part:

"My beautiful daughter, Brishell Jones was slaughtered as if she were less than human on March 30, 2010.

I am not clear as to what role you will play if any to correct the deadly mess that DYRS breeds and allows to roam our streets? If you have a juvenile facility and absconders exist one would think that very juvenile facility DYRS would have its very own absconder unit. To my surprise it does not and why is a great question. An even better question is why would you the mayor tell the MPD to not be present at a hearing to discuss how they search and locate absconders? It's a valid question since MPD does have an absconder unit.

The DC Council members at this hearing seemed to think the newspaper gives false and mythical stories of the absconders from DYRS yet you instruct the police department not to attend the meeting to clear up these false statements and myths....

Now today I see on the news and read in the papers a riot took place at the wonderful, country club for killers I wonder if this will raise an eyebrow on your face or will you continue to insist all is well on the multi-million dollar facility. It is more than obvious to everyone outside of those who supported the insane building and structure of a facility without any structure or discipline whatsoever this is a breeding ground for vile offenders to freely walk away and commit some of the most unspeakable crimes imaginable.

I have also called you and come to your office and filled out a request to ask you in person what does the proclamation you had Ms. Simms present to the families on May 22, 2010 the day of our bike rally actually mean and represents to you as the mayor of the District? You have done your usual routine again and ignore my requests to you as you did so well in the previous years prior to my daughter being shot down like a wild animal being hunted in the safari.

Have a nice day because since my beautiful, intelligent, loving, peaceful child's brains were blown out of her little head just a few yards from our home that she and I once shared happily together I no longer have nice days.

Nardyne Jefferies, Proud Mother of Brishell Tashe' Jones or should I type former mother."

MARC TRAIN: Stalls out last night. WTOP reports: "Train 538 stopped working on the tracks adjacent to Route 50 near Columbia Park Road around 6:30 p.m. Monday. The train departed from Union Station, planned to stop in Baltimore, and then continue to Perryville. Maryland Transportation Administration Terry Owens says Amtrak sent two crews to the site, and towed the train back to Union Station. Many passengers called WTOP to say the electricity died on board the train, causing the cabins to become extremely hot and uncomfortable. Prince George's Fire and EMS treated numerous people for dehydration once passengers were taken off the train, including taking a 50-year-old woman and 52-year-old man to the hospital. Around 8:30 p.m., a third train was sent to transport passengers back to D.C. However, that train did not have the capacity to fit every stranded rider, so around 100 riders had to wait for another train to either Baltimore or D.C." NBC4 has raw video from the scene. More coverage via The Examiner.

The teen killed at that graduation party this past weekend is remembered.

President Obama gives speech in Southeast on importance of fathers.

MAYOR'S SCHEDULE:

10:30 a.m. Remarks
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Memorial Ceremony
Location: Half a block from Fort Totten Metrorail Station
1st Place, NE between Riggs Road and Galloway Street, NE

2 p.m. Remarks
Grand Opening of Pennsylvania Avenue Bike Lanes
Location: Old Post Office Pavilion
Pennsylvania Avenue and 11th Street, NW

D.C. COUNCIL'S SCHEDULE:

1 p.m. Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary (Round Table)
Continuing Overtime and Pay Problems in the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department
Location: John A. Wilson Building, Room 120

2 p.m. Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs (Meeting)
The Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs Committee meetings will be held at 2:00PM on the Fourth Tuesday of each month.
Location: John A. Wilson Building, Room 120

2 p.m. Committee on Public Works and Transportation (Hearing)
B18-823, the "Transportation Infrastructure Amendment Act of 2010"
Location: John A. Wilson Building, Room 500

Confirms nine fatalities, the final count. "As a government and as a city" there are only four people whose identities have been confirmed.

Three of the four are residents of the District of Columbia. One lived in Hyattsville. Fenty contacted three of the four families personally. Says can't imagine the "horror and disbelief" of the families.

Fire department has completed its work as the lead agency. Debbie Hersman and the NTSB will now become the lead agency in this matter. Fenty thanks the feds for making all kinds of resources available.

Next up at the mic is D.C. fire Chief Dennis Rubin. He says that fire and EMS and various agencies have done an "absolutely incredible job" of doing their thing. Highlights—timeline begins at 5 pm, had units on location within six minutes. "Obvious this was going to be a major national event." Then they did coordination with inbound agencies. First injury person was transported 21 minutes later; last person was transported 6 hours and 51 minutes later.

Command was transferred at 1 pm. Fifty-one people that fire department treated.

"We've been busy," says Rubin, noting that there've been other fire events over this period.

Rubin, on an editorial comment here, handles himself pretty well in these moments. He has stumbled in a lot of ways since taking over the fire department but does well in front of the press.

Fenty back at the mic, saying that a grand total of eight of the nine fatalities have been identified. Two of them were David F. Wherley, Jr., former commanding general, Joint Force Headquarters, District of Columbia National Guard, and his wife Ann. Fenty said of David F. Wherley: "As fine a public servant, dedicated to the United States of America" as you'll ever find. Military is in "complete shock," says Fenty.

Now it's Metro General Manager John B. Catoe on the spot: He's saying mostly procedural stuff, talking about handing over all information to NTSB and thanking fire department for quick response. Not much here.

Now it's Jim Graham, talking about the 2 pm meeting today. He's saying there'll be another meeting Thursday. First specific action is that there's an amergency hardship relief fund and dedicated $250,000 to the kitty. It's for responding to immediate human needs. Graham says that it's not about a settlement. Will be "refining" this matter in the coming days. Also, statement: We are aggressively seeking to replace the 1000-series rail cars, which were purchased between 1974 and 1978. Also calling on the feds to make good on the commitment of $150 million per year for capital expenditures. Capital needs remain substantial, high hopes that in FY '10 budget the feds keep up funding.

Up now is Debbie Hersman, who has been easily the most interesting and informative speaker at these events. Hersman expresses condolences, sends out prayers to those who remain hospitalized. Nineteen NTSB personnel are on the case trying to determine what caused the accident.

Hersman now going into some thank-you moments for other instrumentalities that have been doing a "great job" and so on. Standard bureaucratic stuff here.

Teams have been out today collecting evidence. Summary of the work here: Track group, working closely with FBI, checking locations of the track, equipment, damage to the equipment. They're seeking an outline of what the crash looked like.

Hersman says the crash occurred on a curve, not a straightaway. It's a one-degree curve. Track speed limited to 59 mph. Feds are working to determine exact point of derailment. Once they're able to move the trains, they may be able to determine exact location of derailment.

Team is working to preserve records and collect perishable evidence. Majority of our team has been out on scene putting information together. Will need time to go through those records. Operation of the train—documentation of some of the control surfaces....now she's talking about stuff that I have no idea about, something about a dial, toggle switch in the on position. All relates to whether it was in automatic mode or manual mode—OK, I get that.

Toggle switch, dial and master controller confirm to NTSB that the train was in automatic mode. Hersman addresses braking issues—emergency mushroom was found in a depressed condition—it was pressed in. The "mushroom" she's talking about here must be the little switchy thing that hits the emergency brake.

Have conducted some interviews and Metro's ops center about the striking train's operator. The original hire date was January of '07. Was hired as a bus driver. She started training as a train operator in January '09 and started driving in March '09.

Hersman is going to be seeking all kinds of documents on the operator's employment history as well as the "72-hour history," to see whether the operator had sufficient rest-work balance. Will be looking for those records. Toxicology samples have been taken on the train operator and have been sent off for analysis.

Standing train—looking to see if there is usable data on the recorders. Pulling apart the married pair of the trains. WMATA is going to bring in a flatbed to pull stuff apart.

Striking train—Train 112—they're looking at the lead car, which sustained extensive damage. Fifty feet of the 75 feet in that car were lost to the accident. That is, two-thirds of the survivable space was gone because of the impact.

Cars and their age: Average age of Metro fleet is 19.3 years old. How compare to other transit operations: Metro ranks 6th among 15 transit agencies in terms of car age. 1000-series cars comprise 300 cars of Metro's 1115-car fleet.

Now she's going into all the other series, and I've totally lost her. 192, 50000, 2 million, whatever. We'll get those details later.

Accident sequence: There was a train at Ft. Totten. Were servicing the platform. The struck train was waiting on the tracks as a result. The striking train—there was a report that there was an announcement that there was a train ahead and then the striking train started again. Looking into that, says Hersman.

Know that the community is anxious to get service back. Track is safe.

Hersman appreciates support from city and other people too. Including Sal Army, which has helped with water and stuff. Also appreciates people in the neighborhood. Look forward to wrapping up this part of the investigation.

Now taking questions:

Question is about trains reported two months past due on brake service.

Hersman has seen reports to that effect and will review records. Interested in looking at those records, but interested in looking at all of those records. Just in first 24 hours of investigation.

Question: What implications of the aging of the fleet has to the rest of the system.

Hersman says agency has no position on that. Will work closely with WMATA if NTSB finds something that is an acute safety problem.

Question: Is the location of the fatalities and whether they were in the striking or struck car.

Hersman says it's premature to comment on that.

Question: NTSB's request for texting records and the like.

Hersman says hard to say. Not really sure exactly what the point is on this question, though Hersman is saying that operators of vehicles and the like should not be texting or talking on cell phones and the like.

Question: Missed it.

Hersman is responding to the question, but I don't know what the question was, so can't really figure out what to type here.

Question: What OCC might have seen displayed about the location and position of the trains in the system.

Hersman says hasn't gotten with her people on this just yet. Says they will provide additional factual information when it's available.

Fenty now back in front, celebrating the accomplishments of the first responders to this calamity. Talks about the "heroic job" of all these responders. Fenty is not so great in situations like this. Nor is he terrible. He just doesn't project the image of a feeling person. A bit robotic. He gets all the information out there, so that's good. He covers all the bases like a good mayor, including crediting the front-line workers and nodding to the feds and other agencies that have assisted.

HOWEVER: When it comes to shifting to a higher civic and emotional gear, Fenty just doesn't have the equipment to go there.