WASHINGTON – A D.C. Metro operator was suspended after he was caught texting on the job in a video posted on YouTube, just weeks before a deadly crash on the subway system killed nine people, authorities said.
Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel told FOX News that the driver was suspended for five days without pay after the clip of the June 5 incident taken by a rider surfaced.
He is now back at work after serving the suspension.
Taubenkibel stressed that the infraction occurred while the trains were operating in automatic mode. Since the deadly June 22 crash, all Metro trains are being run manually.
The passenger on the blue line in Alexandria apparently recorded the incident with a cell phone camera, then posted it online.
Click here to watch the video.
The operator admitted to texting when he was approached about it, according to Taubenkibel.
Officials say no evidence has been found that the operator killed in the accident on the red line was texting.
Trains can run in normal service on the highly automated system. Taubenkibel said operators are prohibited from texting or using cell phones anywhere that is deemed a "safety sensitive area."
Click here for more on this story from MyFOXDC.com.
FOX News' Megan Dumpe and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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