BALTIMORE — An MTA Light Rail operator was sentenced for a fatal crash that took the life of a Saint Frances football player in 2022.
Tavon Smith, 44, was sentenced to 18 months, with the first two months to be served at the Anne Arundel County Detention Center and the remaining time on house arrest.
Smith entered a guilty plea to reckless endangerment.
Smith was behind the controls of a train that struck Lamar Patterson's Honda at a railroad crossing on Maple Road West in Linthicum.
At the time, 17-year-old Patterson received multiple offers from colleges and universities to play football.
Anne Arundel County Police said the railroad lights were flashing red, but the gate didn't come down in time to block Patterson from driving through.
Investigators say alcohol and drugs didn't play a factor but they didn't rule out error on the part of Smith.
Smith ignored MTA protocol of waiting the required 30 seconds at the station, instead, waited just three seconds before proceeding on his route.
He also ignored the flashing Cross Warning indicators that would have notified him the gates weren't down.
Patterson was originally from Florida and transferred to St. Frances Academy to play football.
