Atlanta public transit CEO Jeffrey Parker committed suicide on Friday night after stepping in front of a train in the outskirts of the city.
Parker, 56, was struck at the East Lake station in Atlanta at 10.30pm, a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority official told DailyMail.com.
No motive for his suicide has been announced. The DeKalb County Medical Board said.
MARTA Board of Directors Chairwoman Rita Scott described him as 'an outstanding leader and steward of MARTA whose passing leaves us all heartbroken.
'We are devastated at this loss as we valued Jeff's leadership and looked forward to him bringing his vision for transit to fruition. The entire metro Atlanta region owes him a debt of gratitude for his transformational efforts and we will not stop working to build on the foundation he created,' she added.
Parker was named general manager and CEO of the agency in March 2018. Since then, he has overseen transit expansion plans, helped negotiate a three percent annual raises for workers and led the agency through a Super Bowl and the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the
Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
In 2020, Parker won a three-year contract extension, securing his job until 2026.
His salary at the time was $366,575, according to the
AJC. He was also eligible for a bonus of up to 10 percent of his base salary - or $36,657.
