Report tonight of the first pedestrian death involving Seattle’s light rail rapid transit system. At around 1:15 AM, the Seattle Police Department issued a bulletin via its Twitter account that a pedestrian had been struck and killed by a Sound Transit train near 5th Ave S and Holgate. According to the 911 logs, the accident occurred just before midnight. This Twitter update is from a passenger who had to get off of a light rail train in Mt. Baker because ‘something was on the tracks.’ While Sound Transit operates other rail in the area, the location of the accident and discussion of a ‘LR’ train on the police scanner indicate that this accident involved the light rail system.
UPDATE 2:27 AM:
Seattle Police Department spokesperson Jeff Kappel said that the person was struck in an area that is off-limits to pedestrians. He described the accident scene as an area where buses and trains share the roadway and said there are no pedestrian crossings in that area. Kappel said the victim is an adult male and that there were riders on the train that struck the man but no riders witnessed the accident and nobody aboard the train was injured in the collission.
The Sound Transit rail system travels above ground through much of its route in South Seattle and at street level in many areas. The extension planned to pass through Capitol Hill will be completely underground with no street level track segments.
Only last week, Stranger editor Dan Savage wrote about the likelihood of a pedestrian death in the early days of light rail’s existence in Seattle. “The most obvious place for our first light-rail-related fatality, of course, is the section of our new light-rail line that runs at grade—which just so happens to be the section that goes through Rainier Valley, one of the poorest areas of the city.” Savage was off by about 1.8 miles.
UPDATE 8:45 AM:
Here is SPD’s brief on the incident:
On 7/27/09 at 11:57 p.m., officers responded to a Sound Transit Light Rail Vehicle/Pedestrian Collision south of S. Holgate St. and 5th Ave s. on the Light Rail Tracks.
Sound Transit Light Rail Vehicle #117B was traveling southbound and had just passed S. Holgate St. when the victim/pedestrian for unknown reason, jumped over the “Jersey” Barricade from the westside of the tracks onto the path of the train.
The pedestrian went under the train and was pronounced by Seattle Fire Department personnel as DOA. The Traffic Collision Investigators along with the King County Medical Examiner responded and processed the scene. The investigation continues.
As sad as it is, you guys were the first to break this after the tweet from @SeattlePD, as I did not see any report on the local news websites regarding the fatality.
It is sad to hear that a fatality has occured so soon into the operation of the train. I have to drive through the SODO district to get to work at night, and the train does sound its bell still, as well as all the lights and everything from the crossing arms.
However, I can not seem to recall if they have updated the crossing arms to block the pedestrian pathway that goes across those tracks. If that is not the case, this sad incident can hopefully put that plan into motion so that no one else does not dismiss what obviously is a warning “Do Not Cross When Flashing.”
Sounds like he knew he was in the wrong place.
Cue the monofail fans.
Very sad for this to happen. This sounds very much like a suicide and not an accident. The report at Seattle Times seems to allude to this. The anti transit nuts are working themselves into a tizzy over there in the comments. This happens on transit systems whether they have at grade (streets on street level) or not. BART in San Francisco (which is completely grade separated) occasionally will get people who commit suicide by train at the stations.
What is it about that area and train tracks?!
County coroner has ruled the death a suicide:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009558571_w