Pedestrian struck, killed by train at Sandy TRAX station

SANDY — A woman on a motorized chair was fatally struck by a Blue Line TRAX train at Historic Sandy Station on Tuesday. Officials are currently working to identify and contact her family.

Around 12:37 p.m., Utah Transit Authority Police said the 65-year-old woman entered the crossing at 9000 South near 165 East against the warning signs and sounds.

Witnesses reported seeing the woman first stop at the crossing and wait for a southbound train to pass, seconds later she entered the crossing, according to Lt. Bitton.

“Then (she) entered the crossing at that point and a northbound was coming through right after the southbound,” he said.

Carl Arky, a spokesperson for UTA, said the train was accelerating upon impact.

Lt. Bitton said the woman was thrown from her chair as it was dragged under the front of the train. The train then came to a stop just feet away in the center of 9000 South prior to entering Sandy Historic Station.

“We did have a passerby go to the fire station behind us while others performed CPR,” Bitton said.

Despite heroic efforts by bystanders on scene, the woman died. Bitton said the situation was traumatic for everyone involved, especially the train’s conductor.

“He’s shook up, he’s shook up,” he said. “When we first got here, he was tearful, pretty traumatic for our train operators that close and personal to be involved in an incident like that.”

Bitton said all the warning signs and sounds for the crossing were active and working when the woman was hit, and it doesn’t appear she had any visual or audio impairments. He said what happened is heartbreaking and reminded pedestrians to heed all warning signs and sounds at these crossings, and to look both ways.

“Wait for those trains to pass, lights to quit flashing, bells to stop ringing and arms to come up, and look,” he said. “Always look.”