CEO of Atlanta’s MARTA transit system commits suicide by jumping in front of train

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MARTA CEO Jeffrey Parker, who led the public transit agency through an era of expansion and pandemic, has died, the agency confirmed.

The agency said Parker died by suicide. An agency official confirmed he was struck by a train at East Lake station. The DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office said it could release no details of Parker’s death until its investigation is complete.

“The MARTA Board of Directors grieves the shocking death of our GM/CEO Jeff Parker who has died by suicide,” Chairwoman Rita Scott said in a statement Saturday. “He was an outstanding leader and steward of MARTA whose passing leaves us all heartbroken.

“As chairwoman and on behalf of my fellow MARTA board members, we are devastated at this loss as we valued Jeff’s leadership and looked forward to him bringing his vision for transit to fruition,” Scott said. “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.”

Only on rare occasion does The Atlanta Journal-Constitution report death by suicide. The newspaper will typically respect the privacy of grieving families in such a circumstance. But in this case, a well-known public figure’s family is sharing the news with the public as a way to counter the stigma attached to suicide. The newspaper is honoring that request

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