WASHINGTON - Metro's general manager is crediting the train operator killed in Monday's crash with saving lives.

John Catoe told relatives, friends and colleagues who gathered at a prayer service Friday at the Temple of Praise in Southeast D.C. that 42-year-old Jeanice McMillan was not just doing her job when she was operating the train. He called her a hero and said her actions "ultimately saved lives."

Federal investigators have said McMillan applied an emergency brake before her train plowed into another, killing her and eight others.

The crowd stood and clapped and cheered after Catoe's comment.

Hundreds attended the memorial service, including D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, as were many Metro employees, wearing their uniforms and black arm bands.

Susan Gibbs from the Archdiocese of Washington explained, "We wanted to remember the lives lost in the Metro accident, the Metro employees who had such a hard week and also really the first responders."

Twelve different religions are represented by faith leaders from the interfaith community. Metro staff, government officials and the public are all invited.

Gibbs said, "It is a really nice way to step aside from a busy week and just take a few minutes and remember those who need our prayers."

As the community begins to heal following the horrific crash, federal investigators are seeking answers. Sensors are on the Red Line rails are providing some potentially disturbing clues in the investigation.

Early tests conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board found that a signaling system failed to recognize a stopped test train placed in the same spot as the train that was struck earlier this week.

The NTSB also interviewed the operator of the struck train, who told investigators that he was operating in manual mode, going against Metro procedures during rush hour.

He says he stopped his train while waiting for another train to clear.

As for the other train operator in the collision, Metro officials say she was not on her cell phone at the time of the crash, and it appears she started braking more than 100 feet from the standing train.

The investigation will continue. In the meantime, Metro plans to run all trains manually until all 3,000 track sensor circuits are inspected.

As an added safety precaution, the 1,000-series cars in the fleet, like the ones that sustained the most damage on Monday, will now be placed in the middle of the train.

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